Crucial to the success of any further economic reform, good governance is the Chinese Communist Party's greatest challenge as it plans for the future. This groundbreaking book explores the key dimensions of governance in China. These include the prospects for political reform; the processes of institution-building, such as strengthening state capacity and improving the legislative framework; enhancing regime legitimacy through local elections; and managing social discontent. Drawing on original fieldwork, the international group of authors provides a systematic analysis of the complex causes underlying China's governance problems and reflects on the prospects for future social and political change.