Government and Politics of Hong Kong

POLS A211 Government and Politics of Hong Kong is a one-year, ten-credit, middle-level course. It is one of the core courses in the Bachelor of Social Sciences degree programmes. There is no prerequisite to this course, and the actual units are designed with this fact in mind.

The course in the Government and Politics of Hong Kong is designed to help you understand how your political system in Hong Kong has evolved, and in what direction it is moving. We have done this by asking certain questions: Who makes political decisions in Hong Kong? Where are the institutions where decisions can be made? Who and what influence the policy-makers? What influences from outside Hong Kong can affect the outcomes? What issues are likely to affect Hong Kong as time unfolds?

In order to answer these type of questions we have to do certain things:

1. we need to know how the political system evolved into its present form and the forces which helped move it in a given direction; (This is not a course in political history so a detailed knowledge of historical development is not necessary.)
2. we need the tools to be able to analyse the political forces at work. Without those tools we would be lost and have no sense of direction. These tools include: models to help us understand the broad picture, basic empirical theories to help us explain how the political system operates, basic structures so that we can understand who is involved in the process and what powersthey have, documents which attempt to describe Hong Kong's political institutions and the relationship of the people to those institutions;
3. we need to understand the issues which affect Hong Kong. How do we begin to analyse the forces at work? These issues can be constitutional (for example the degree of autonomy Hong Kong has under the 'One Country, Two Systems' model). They can be economic, social (for example, the amount of money that should be spent by the government in areas such as health or social services) or they can be moral questions (for example, the amount of freedom a person should be allowed in a society).

What you will notice is that a study of government and politics of Hong Kong is not abstract or descriptive. It does not only consider how, for example, the Legislative Council or the Executive Council operate. It is far wider than that as it looks at the interplay of the whole of society in coming to a decision on matters of political significance. In short, we can accept that our course is about people disagreeing (for politics is about disagreement) on solid issues which affect their lives and the kind of society they live in.

Now that we know what we are trying to do we can begin to consider how we do it. The structure is fairly straightforward. We have a total of ten units to study. Each unit has a number of aims and key topics which we shall discuss soon. Each unit starts with an overview of the subject matter to be discussed.

We move on from there to stating desired course learning outcomes and introducing the central concerns and major actors to be studied. At each point we progress to more difficult concepts and applications. However, we ensure that as we move upwards in conceptual difficulty the previous steps have been understood, absorbed and applied. This is done through self-tests and often through various activities. Texts are given, but we have ensured that they are of the correct level of difficulty and help to widen your perspectives. At the end of each unit we summarize the main points and provide answers to the self-test questions (which we hope you will not use before you have tested yourselves!).

All courses set out to provide you with a series learning outcomes. Some are for the whole course and some are for the individual units.

Course learning outcomes

On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

1. Discuss the evolution of Hong Kong's political system and constitution and explain the broad political philosophy underpinning them in the colonial and post-1997 era.
2. Examine the institutional structures, key actors and salient policy issues in Hong Kong's political system.
3. Apply relevant theoretical frameworks, concepts and methods to explain Hong Kong's political development.
4. Analyse the interactions between the institutional elements and the wider socio-political environment in post-colonial Hong Kong.
5. Review the roles and positions of Hong Kong within China and globally.

We have designed this course to be as logical as possible in approach. You will need to read this part very carefully as it is important from the beginning that you organize your work and time as effectively as possible. To work through this course you will need to organize the following.

Materials

Constitutional document

Consultative Committee for the Basic Law (1990) The Basic Law of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

Recommended reference

Lam, W M et al. (2007) Contemporary Hong Kong Politics: Governance in the Post-1997 Era, Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

Readings

There will be other more specific readings, but these are included in your course materials.

Study units

There are ten study units in The Government and Politics of Hong Kong. Each study unit requires 30 hours of study time. Each unit builds on its predecessor, so that while there is a degree of compartmentalization, you should be aware of the holistic nature of the course. Each unit provides background political information, instructions on a central theme, guidance notes for reading and, if desired, further reading. There is also help given on how to formulate and present arguments in a structured form.

The study units are:

1. Introduction to the historical development of Hong Kong's political system. In this unit we try to work out the basic political philosophy in Hong Kong and how it changed over time. This means that we look at the broad development of the political system from the early colonial model up to that which we have today.
2. The Constitutional Framework. In this unit we try to establish the sources of the political constitution for Hong Kong and how they affect the political process. In particular we examine in detail the implementation and interpretation of the Basic Law.
3. The Executive Branch. In this unit we look at what constitutes the Executive Branch, the relationship between the Chief Executive and the Executive Council and that between the Executive Branch and the People's Republic of China.
4. The Legislative Branch. In this unit we look at the membership, composition and rules of the Legislative Branch. We then move to a consideration of the roles, powers and functions of an independent legislature and how Hong Kong compares to the essential criteria. In particular we shall look at the new legislative processes as they emerge over the next few years.
5. The Administration. In this unit we consider the structure and purpose of the administration and review the administration's inputs in the decision-making process. We ask the crucial question of whether the Civil Service is merely an administrative unit, or whether it is a political force in its own right. Lastly we consider the level of accountability to be found in the Civil Service.
6. Local Politics. In this unit we consider the limited powers of local government in relation to central government. We then proceed to look at the structure and functions of local government and compare them to other local government systems.
7. Informal Actors. In this unit we begin by defining pressure groups and political parties. We then proceed to see how they fit into the political system in Hong Kong. We also look at types of political party and pressure groups in other systems for comparison. Lastly we look at the political role of the media in Hong Kong.
8. The Political Culture and Public Opinion. In this unit we investigate the concepts of political culture and public opinion and how it affects Hong Kong. We proceed to look at the problems involved in the applicability of the concepts. Then we consider the changing nature of a political culture and public opinion after 1997.
9. The External Environment. In this unit we begin by stressing the crucial significance of the external environment in Hong Kong's future developments. We then proceed to analyse the significance of the 'one country, two systems' format in relation to the People's Republic of China. Finally we broaden out to consider the relationship between Hong Kong and the international environment.
10. Conclusion. In this final unit we bring the whole course together into a holistic conclusion. At this point we should be able to identify political trends in Hong Kong's development, and apply our analysis to issues and understand in some detail the interplay between actors and power distribution in the political system itself. Finally we will be in a position to understand in much more detail Hong Kong's place in the international system.

Video

Accompanying the printed study units is a supplementary video, which is available on the Online Learning Environment (OLE). The focus of the video is on the political development of Hong Kong from 1841-1984.

Assignment File

There are five assignments in this course, each of them dealing with some important aspects of the political system in Hong Kong. We have tried to introduce different types of assignments which encourage the development of different skills. (See Assignment File for specific details.)

Presentation Schedule

The presentation schedule is available on the OLE. This schedule provides you with dates for completing assignments, tutorial attendance, day schools and other such pertinent information.

Assessment

You will be assessed on your ability to understand and apply concepts, to analyse and process information from relevant documents, to relate the parts of the course to the wider process of politics and government in Hong Kong, to understand the dynamic and changing nature of the political system in the territory and to apply these acquired skills to the understanding of the process by which decisions are made over contentious political issues. We are sure that you understand that we are trying to introduce different types of skills. Included are five tutorial assignments as detailed above and a three-hour written examination. The written examination carries 50% of the marks.

In order to complete the assignments well we shall tell you what we are looking for in a good answer. We are looking for critical thinking, pertinence, good organizational skills, clear presentation and evidence of reading and independent thought.

We are not looking for anything copied from other sources.

Assignments

There are five assignments, of which you are graded on your four best marks. Please note the course marking scheme below.

Course marking scheme

Course overview

This table brings together the units, the time taken to complete them, and the assignments that follow them.

This course is unique because it is designed to understand and analyse a rapidly changing political system, namely, Hong Kong. To get the most from the course you will need to keep up with events as they happen. To this effect we have included newspaper and magazine articles, but we hope that you will read many yourself to keep up with the changes. We would also hope that you would follow programmes on television and on the radio to see that our subject is of great current importance, and what happens actually affects you and society at large. Do not forget that the Internet carries much information both in factual form and in opinion, and it is fun to log in and find it. Two useful websites are:

• <http://www.gov.hk/tc/residents/> (Hong Kong SAR Government)
• <http://www.scmp.com> (South China Morning Post)

You should enjoy this course as it is both challenging and interesting at the same time. Politics in Hong Kong is not a boring subject but a vibrant area of discourse which is both profitable and essential to understand as we prepare for the 21st century. Good luck in the course.

Tutors and tutorials

Tutorials are wonderful opportunities to exchange your ideas with others and to interact in a meaningful way. Of course, such exchanges must have structure and purpose, allowing you to explore the themes under consideration. Remember we have a special telephone tutor service where you can talk through any problems you might experience. Do not be shy in contacting these people in specified periods of time should you feel that you need any assistance.

As we have just said, we believe that politics and the study of the way it operates in Hong Kong is both interesting and stimulating. We genuinely believe that you will enjoy this course and find that it helps you in all kinds of ways. Not least it will allow you to understand more fully the environment in which we live and work. As we begin to explore the exciting world of politics all we can say is enjoy it and good luck to you in your journey.

Elfed Vaughan Roberts

Elfed Vaughan Roberts lectured in the Department of Politics and Public Administration. His teaching included the Government and Politics of Hong Kong at the undergraduate level. He has written a number of texts on Hong Kong including:

1. Davies, S and Roberts, E (1990) Political Dictionary for Hong Kong, Hong Kong: Macmillan Press.
2. 'Political Developments in Hong Kong. 1841-1984' (1996) A film History by Elfed Vaughan Roberts.
3. Roberts, E and Ng, W (1996) 'Government and Politics' in Brian Hook (ed), Guangdong: China's Promised Land Hong Kong: Oxford University Press.
4. Roberts, E V (1991) Social Sciences: A Foundation Course. Politics 1 Units 3 and 4 Hong Kong: The Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong.
5. Roberts, E V, 'Political Developments in Hong Kong: Implications for 1997', The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 547 (September 1996), 24-36.
6. Roberts, E V, Ling, S N and Bradshaw, P (1992) Historical Dictionary of Hong Kong and Macau, New Jersey and London: Scarecrow Press.

Mary Hogan

Mary Hogan is a full-time doctoral candidate at the University of Hong Kong. She tutors undergraduates in aspects of Hong Kong government and politics. She successfully completed her Master of Philosophy degree in 1996 and has helped to organize conferences in the area of Hong Kong government and politics.

Peter Lovelock

Peter Lovelock was a full-time doctoral candidate at the University of Hong Kong when writing this course. He tutored undergraduates in aspects of Hong Kong government and politics. He has published widely in the field of mass media and political freedoms.