Failure of Charisma

Drawing on extensive archives and interviews with more than 80 activists, this work by a former Red Guard sketches the history and explores the larger implications of the Cultural Revolution as it occurred in one Chinese city. The author addresses important issues of collective action, including the weight of selective incentives, role of political entrepreneurs, formation of coalitions, and the relationship between anarchy and violence. The text should be of interest to China scholars, political scientists, and to general readers interested in popular political movements.