The Inner Court of Communist China : Elites and Their Bureaucratic Institutions in an Authoritarian System (1921-2022)

This book discusses the mishu (staff member, secretary) system and the operation of the Chinese Communist Party between 1921 and 2022, focusing on the system's impact on high-level politics and decision-making during four key periods. Starting with the Revolutionary War (1921-1945), it moves to the founding of the People's Republic of China and the beginning of the Cultural Revolution (1950-1966), the period of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), and finally the period of reform and opening up, bringing the history to the present day (1976-2022). This is the first systematic analysis of the mishu system, offering new insights on the history of the CCP and modern China.