This book examines China's strive for a constitutional order in the twentieth century from comparative, historical, and theoretical perspectives.

Shiping Hua is Calvin and Helen Lang Distinguished Chair in Asian Studies, Director of the Asian Studies Program, and Professor of Political Science at the University of Louisville, USA.

1. Introduction: Issues and Questions 2. Law and Culture: Theory and Method 3. Law in the Chinese Cultural Tradition 4. The Late Qing Constitutional Reform: Modernization First, Democracy Second 5. The Republic of China Constitutional Reform: The Anglo-American Model Modified 6. The Early PRC Constitutional Reform: The Soviet Model at a Different Stage 7. The Maoist Constitutional Reform: Governance without Laws 8. The Dengist Constitutional Reform: The 1954 Constitution Modified 9. The Four Amendments: Liberalization with Limits Epilogue: Recent Events and Interpreting China's Strive for a Constitutional Order