This book investigates how the evolution of legislative institutions in post-Mao China influences the stability and transformation of Communist Party rule. Murray Scot Tanner, a specialist in Chinese politics, utilizes extensive research into the National People's Congress to argue that China is undergoing a process of institutional change from within. By analyzing the shifting dynamics between legal frameworks and party hierarchy, the author provides a framework for understanding the country's complex transition toward rule by law.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the institutional development of the Chinese legal system during the post-Mao era. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the author's meticulous attention to the nuances of party-state relations.