This course aims to examine the dynamics, processes and outcomes of policy making and implementation in China since 1949. It focuses on explaining three issues: First, it analyses the institutional foundation of policy-making in China and how this bureaucratic structure affects the process and outcomes of policy-making. Second, it uses case studies to illuminate how a concrete policy is made, expressed, and modified in local implementation. Third, it will also examine the evolving role of the external actors such as the think tanks, businessmen and citizens in government decision-making in the reform era. Upon completion of this course, students are expected to capture the interplay between key players, the power structure, and capacity of the party-state in policy formulation and implementation in contemporary China.