The Political Economy of Household registration system in China

This research paper, presented as a Bachelor thesis, will address few crucial aspects of function and future prospects of household registration system, hukou 户口, in People´s Republic of China中华人民共和国 . Our perspective will focus on interplay, interdependence and indivisible nature of political, legal and economic aspects, underlying the scope of available policy choices leading to reform of this often contested system of institutionalized discrimination. In our perspective, hukou system has profound influence not only on labour market, dynamics of economic development and factor allocation efficiency, but more importantly it determines well-being, self-satisfaction and fulfillment of personal capabilities within polity, with profound and significant ramifications for future realities of state-society relationship and the character of social contract that would shape basis of narrative known as culture. We will proceed from brief summary of legislative and institutional framework of household registration system, followed by outline of the Open Door Policy 改革开放 and economic reform in China from early 80's to present, in country specific context,concluding with historical overview of the process of urbanization 都市化.Declaratory in nature, yet a commitment of new Chinese leadership to abolish household registration system till 2020 (Ecns, 2013) and its prospects will be briefly summarized in concluding remarks of this paper