China watchers have been looking for signs of regime change and democratization for years, and yet the Party remains firmly in power. The Party enjoys more popular support than is often recognized, but that support is soft in a variety of ways. Using recent public opinion data, this talk will examine the Party’s strategy for survival and the public's response to it.

Bruce Dickson is professor of political science and international affairs at the George Washington University. His research focuses on the evolution of the Chinese political system and the role of the Chinese Communist Party within it. His latest book is "The Dictator's Dilemma: The Chinese Communist Party's Strategy for Survival" (Oxford, 2016).