Since 1949 to the late of 1990s, Chinese society as well as the politicians' preference has been in drastic change. By delegating administrative discretion to bureaucrats of high ability, allowing whom to choose actions freely according to social environment, politicians' targets were achieved....

Patron-client networks are widely found in governments of transitional societies and are often seen as an impediment to effective governance. This article advances an alternative view that emphasizes their enabling effects. I argue that patron-client relations can be used to improve government...