Brighid McDonough Dr. Liu Comprehensive Chinese Section 06 4 November 2016 What are the Similarities and Differences of Voting Rights Between China and the the United States? In both China and the United States, all citizens over the age of eighteen are eligible to vote for positions in public office, without regard to race, sexuality or religion. There are no direct elections in the US, all voting is done at a representative basis, as our political system is set up as a democratic republic. Similarly, in China, there are representatives who vote on behalf of China’s entire population. Individuals in China have a much smaller voice in their election as compared to their US counterparts, however. China is home to 1.35 billion people, and they cannot vote directly for their leader, as they exist in a communist governing system. There are many cities and villages throughout China where there are direct elections, especially in places that are not divided into districts. In the US, elections are not direct. While our political systems may differ presently, both the US and China have had a history of voter suppression and fights for suffrage. In 1920 women in the US were granted the right to vote, but it was not until 1965 that black Americans had full voting rights. Additionally, Chinese-Americans were not allowed to vote or become citizens in the US until 1943. In China, the people do not vote for their president, but he is rather picked by 3,000 deputies, known formally as the National People’s Congress in China. The people, especially among the youth in China, do not feel accurately represented in their elections, as typically only one candidate is offered and average citizens are not allowed to vote. Similarly, in national elections, states and votes are represented in the Electoral College. Each state, based on its size and population, is represented by five-hundred-thirty-eight electors. Each state is either democratic or republican, blue or red. This is a process widely criticized by many people in the minority of their states. Republicans in Massachusetts, or Democrats in Arkansas, for example, feel as though their votes do not count as they are not accurately represented in the college. In both Chinese and American governments, corruption exists, and money is not always necessarily well-spent by officials. In Chinese elections, representatives from the following parties choose a president, so the election is much less about the average citizen. The only parties allowed to participate in Chinese elections are the Communist Party and the eight allied parties. The eight allied parties are:
Elections in the people’s republic of China are based on a hierarchical electoral system, whereby local People’s Congresses are directly elected, and all higher levels of People’s Congresses up to the National People’s Congress, the national legislature are indirectly elected by the People’s Congress of the level immediately below. Governors, mayors and heads of countries, districts, townships and and towns are elected by respective local People’s Congresses. Presidents of the people’s courts and chief procurators of people’s procuratorates are elected by the respective local People’s Congresses above the county level. The President and the State Council are elected by the National People’s Congress. They also have the power to remove any of the positions they are responsible for electing. The National People’s Congress is also responsible for electing the National People’s Congress Standing Committee. It is a 175 member body made up of National People’s Congress members which meets year round to discuss and approve routine and administrative issues. People’s Congresses of cities that are not divided into districts, counties, city districts, townships and ethnic townships are directly elected. Committee members and chairpersons are too directly elected. Also, village committee members and chairpersons are directly elected. Heads of People’s Governments are formally elected by the People’s Congress of that level, but the heads of township governments have been experimentally elected by the people through various mechanisms. These include:
Percent of Voters/Year Presidential Election People’s Republic of China (Voters represented as those within selected Committee) United States of America (Aged 18-29) 2004 80.28% 48% 2008 76.33% 51% 2012 77.13% 45% Reflection: In my research of voting rights in China and the United States, I realized how fortunate myself and other Americans are to live in a truly democratic government. I think democracies and republics are the most fair ways to govern people and give individual citizens the voices they deserve. I think China needs to reform many aspects of their government, as to allow their enormous population to have more influence on how they live and the laws mandated upon them. I also learned how different the government of China and Hong Kong are, even though their land and culture overlap in other facets. Hong Kong is a democracy and their citizens vote in mass numbers, especially those of a younger generation. People in the US and other democratic nations take their right to vote for granted and often do not vote, typically less than half of eligible citizens go to the polls. I think my research project brought awareness to our incredible fortunes as Americans, and that we should take advantage of our rights and advocate for other nations to allow their citizens to do the same. Summary: People in America can directly exercise their right to vote when they turn 18. They can fill out a ballot and directly contribute to the election of the next president of the United States of America. In China, representatives of the population vote on their behalf. The majority of the population in China does not vote in elections because they have representatives. However, in Hong Kong people can directly vote. Hong Kong is a democracy and all of China should move towards the ideals of Hong Kong as to better represent the views of Chinese citizens as a whole, considering their enormous population and countless voices and opinions. Conclusion: I have learned that different forms of government exist to serve their respective citizens adequately, although some reflect the opinions of individuals or minorities overwhelmingly. My project serves to address the partisan and discriminatory nature of some forms of government, for example the communist regime currently guiding China. While the government of the United States is far from perfectly equitable, it addresses present needs and more accurately serves our people. Voting rights is a privilege too often taken for granted, and citizens of democratic nations should share their voices and opinions at the polls to create a more fair and harmonious government that benefits themselves and the interests of their fellow citizens. Works Cited Burgio, C. (2007). Democracy in China: A distant dream. Asia Europe Journal, 5(2), 181-186. doi:10.1007/s10308-007-0119-1 Kroef, J. M. (1981). “Normalizing” Relations with the People´s Republic of China: Indonesia´s Rituals of Ambiguity. Contemporary Southeast Asia, 3(3), 187-218. doi:10.1355/cs3-3a MacLeod, C., Yang S. (2013, March 14). In China, it's an election in name only. USA TODAY Retrieved October 10, 2016.
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Brighid McDonoughComprehensive Chinese at Boston Latin School. Archives
December 2016
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