The EAST Model: The Evolution and Risks of China's Power System

This article examines Yasheng Huang's EAST Model, which sheds new light on the evolution of China's political system. The author challenges Western-centric views of the state, identifying the Keju examination system as a key political technology for homogenizing human capital. The text discusses in detail the mechanisms of frictionless autocracy and the threats posed by the so-called Tullock curse, or problems with power succession. The analysis focuses on Needham's paradox and the tension between scale and scope for innovation. The reader will learn how historical bureaucratic inertia and meritocratic conformity influence contemporary Chinese political stability and why this system is prone to catastrophic decision-making errors in the absence of external corrective mechanisms. This is a profound look at the institutional persistence of Chinese statehood.