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Law and Political Economy

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The Role of Law in China’s Economic Development, 1978–2011

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Abstract

The second chapter sketches the methodological framework for the thesis. It challenges the conventional view of law as an instrument for political will by recapitulating Max Weber’s study of the role of formal rational law in the rise of Western capitalism. (2.1) In light of the rising inequalities following China’s economic reforms, this section introduces the literature on the economic constitutions of the U.S. during the late twentieth century (2.2), which is undergirded by a review of the literature on the relationship between law and capitalism in this period. (2.3) The chapter ends with a theoretical overview of the role of legal professionals, which Weber considered essential in studying the law. (2.4) Overall, this chapter theoretically clarifies that the relation between law and economy is a complicated matter entailing a context-dependent interpretation.

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  1. Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Jia Hu

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  1. Jia Hu
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Correspondence to Jia Hu .

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Hu, J. (2024). Law and Political Economy. In: The Role of Law in China’s Economic Development, 1978–2011. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-9911-8_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-9911-8_2

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