The perestroika movement in American political science and its lessons for Chinese political studies

Abstract

On October 15, 2000, an anonymous political scientist (or group of them) sent an email over the signature Mr. Perestroika. Mr. Perestroika's message was addressed to a handful of political scientists, and it invited the recipients to forward it to others. Within a few days, the message had spread throughout the community of political scientists in the US. Two weeks later, 125 scholars - including several of America's best-known political scientists - signed a letter drafted by Yale professor Rogers Smith. They said the discipline was in danger of alienating a larger and larger number of those who should be its active members, and contributing less and less to the kinds of understanding of politics that it is our responsibility to advance (Eakin 2000).