This documentary showed an interesting experiment of democracy in an otherwise undemocratic country. Surprisingly, I think the election for Class Monitor was pretty democratic in that everyone in the class participated in choosing the three candidates, everyone got a vote, and the losers Xiaofei and Cheng Cheng have a chance of trying again next year. Also, there were some elements that were unfair but still resembled elections in liberal democracies such as the US. Each candidate had different levels of parental support, or campaign funds. Luo Lei’s parents gave his classmates a field trip and gifts to get votes while Xiaofei and Cheng Cheng did not have these. In addition, there was an incumbency advantage as Luo Lei was apparently allowed to beat other kids as the current Class Monitor. This might have influenced how kids voted. I think Macchiavelli would have said that Luo Lei won because he effectively used both fear, through his use of force, and virtue, through his gifts, to win over his classmates.
Introduction to Comparative Politics: Nationalism, Ideology, and State Power
Professor Shervin Malekzadeh
I do think a case could be made for Machiavelli thinking Cheng Cheng would have won. More so than Luo Lei, Cheng Cheng took a populist approach that at one point seemed to captivate the class. In addition from the beginning he took subtle subversive measures that were very effective. He seemed to be decisively the best orator, and covered his flaws well while exposing those of his competitors. What reminded me most of a Machiavellian leader in his campaign was when he did his best to expose Luo Lei’s cruelty and claimed to be trying to set a new standard for the treatment of the class.