A new book co-edited by Robert Grafstein, a UGA professor of political science, discusses whether China and the U.S. can bridge their political differences and whether those differences are as large as conventional wisdom suggests.
A Bridge Too Far? connects the academic divide separating scholars who study these countries from Chinese and Western political science perspectives. Rather than bringing together China specialists exclusively, the book allows a broad range of scholars using Western analytical tools to examine Chinese politics and political theory in relation to the U.S.
And it allows Chinese scholars to examine specific policy areas related to both countries and thereby confirm or contest the broader analysis offered by their outside counterparts.
The book reveals areas of overlap between the two nations’, politics without diminishing the distance separating them. Topics include China’s democratic prospects and the rise of local village elections, the role of interest groups, Western and Chinese political philosophy, and Sino-American foreign policy interactions..