Wang (Development Research Center, State Council of the People's Republic of China) argues that an authoritarian Chinese state has paradoxically been spearheading local democratization programs in rural villages. He examines the historical and institutional development of this program as well as its manifestations in five geographically diverse villages. The encouragement of democratic village assemblies was instituted to allow the Chinese state to overcome a legitimacy crisis arising from economic reforms. It indeed has allowed the state greater penetration into village life, but has also allowed, if unevenly, villagers' penetration into the state. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR