Capitalism from Below

Acomprehensive study of over 700 manufacturing companies in the Yangtze river region, this survey of economic actors attempts to uncover the roots of the Chinese economic miracle. Victor Nee and Sonja Opper highlight how China's socialist economy shifted away from state-mandated rules. The private enterprise economy emerged as a result of an incremental marketization approach which began with the decollectivation of communes. But how did grassroots change lead to such massive productivity gains? Nee and Opper argue that the gradual nature of economic reforms were the primary catalyst in legitimizing marketoriented policies.