Economics, Politics, and the Determinants of Policy Outcomes in China: Post-Cultural Revolution Health Policy

With China’s meteoric rise to international prominence, her launching of satellites, and her scientific achievements, outside analysts frequently forget, as Peking’s leaders do not, that the People’s Republic of China is still a poor agrarian country. This national attribute influences all public programs, especially those in the health field. In this paper, I shall address three ques-tions: First, since the Cultural-Revolution medical reforms of 1968, how has policy been implemented and how have these programs been modified in the process’? Secondly, what factors have been most important in producing these alterations?