Title
What the (Expletive) is a "Constitution"?! Ordinary Cadres Confront the 1954 PRC Draft Constitution
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-2018
Department
East Asian Studies
Language
English
Publication Title
Journal of Chinese History
Abstract
Following the history of western constitutional history, studies of Chinese constitutionalism have tended to focus on its intellectual origins, or, more commonly these days, its failure to restrain official behavior. Drawing upon new archival materials, this article takes a different tack. I zero in on a critical period of constitutional gestation, when officials read the 1954 constitution in draft form, posed questions about its text and suggested revisions. How did officials react when told that citizens, many of whom were recently persecuted, now enjoy “freedom of assembly”? These materials allow us to see “the state” in real time: How did officials understand core legal concepts such as “right,” “constitution” and “citizen” as well as their role in the new polity? In many respects, the discussion surrounding the draft constitution turned out to be a venue for officials to talk about the meaning of the revolution they had just experienced.
DOI
10.1017/jch.2017.28
Recommended Citation
Diamant, Neil J. "What the (Expletive) is a "Constitution"?! Ordinary Cadres Confront the 1954 PRC Draft Constitution." Journal of Chinese History 2, no. 1 (2018): 169-190. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-chinese-history/article/what-the-expletive-is-a-constitution-ordinary-cadres-confront-the-1954-prc-draft-constitution/24D86786874B8B40006030687E9E5BAE
Comments
For more information on the published version, visit Cambridge University Press's Website.