Hong Kong's Indigenous Democracy Origins, Evolution and Contentions

This book argues that Hong Kong has a unique system of democracy, and implies that the previous studies in comparative politics have focused excessively on the procedural aspects of democratization. The case of Hong Kong demonstrates that, substantively speaking, it is already a democracy with home grown characteristics, including the rule of law, judicial independence, a strong civil society, horizontal accountability, the complexities of using a civil disobedience movement in pushing for democratization, and the gradual progress in democratizing the election methods for the Chief Executive. The study of democratization in other parts of the world can perhaps focus on liberalization, the building up of the rule of law and judicial independence, and the utilization of social and political movements to exert pressure on the government to democratize the political system. This book is a unique contribution to the study of democratization in Hong Kong, with chapters including the legal tradition in Hong Kong, the features of Hong Kong's indigenous democracy, the 2014 Umbrella Movement, and the evolution of the Chief Executive election. Academics, journalists, government officials and students of comparative democratization and Chinese studies will all find this book useful.

Sonny Shiu-Hing Lo is Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. He formerly worked at the University of Waterloo, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Murdoch University, and the University of East Asia in Macau. He is an internationally recognized expert on the politics of Hong Kong and Macao.

List of Tables
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Introduction: The Uniqueness of Hong Kong Democracy and Its Implications for Comparative Politics
1. Historical Origins of the Hong Kong Model of Democracy and Interactions with the China Factor
2. The Dual Development of Rule of Law and Judicial Independence
3. The Role of Independent Commission Against Corruption, Audit Commission, the Commissioner for Administrative Complaints, and the Equal Opportunities Commission
4. Perspectives on the Occupy Central Movement and Implications for Democratization 
5. The Chief Executive Election and Hong Kong's Indigenous Democracy 
6. Conclusion
Bibliography
Index