In July 1997, as the British government handed Hong Kong back to China, the world wondered whether the building blocks of democracy that had been hastily laid down in Hong Kong over the previous two decades were sturdy enough to withstand the change. While many scholars of democratization focus on outside forces and legal change, political sociologist Alvin So argues that--in the case of Hong Kong--the societal dimension reveals more clearly the issues and difficulties of establishing a viable democracy. He shows how Hong Kong moved from being a nondemocracy in the 1970s, to a restricted democracy in the 1980s, to a contested democracy in the 1990s, and how Hong Kong now negotiates a democratic compromise under Chinese rule.

The change in the speed and direction of Hong Kong democratization, argues So, arises from the clash of interests between service professionals (such as teachers, journalists, and lawyers) and the business sector. So highlights the crucial role played by Hong Kong's business-entrepreneurial class, which rose in power and influence, developed an alliance with the Chinese government, and slowed down democratization before the handover.

By analyzing the shifting interests and alliances of the populace, So explains why democracy in Hong Kong under Beijing's rule resembles the limited democracy of the Hong Kong of the 1980s.

"The process of democratization in Hong Kong has been highly dynamic, going from empowerment to alienation at short notice... One of the most interesting aspects of Hong Kong democracy is the constant shifting of political alliances since the early 1980s. Antidemocracy alliances regularly dissolved, realigned, and reconstructed themselves, and so did prodemocracy alliances. The aim of this book is to explain how shifting political alliances led to the rise and transformation of the democratization project in Hong Kong." -- from the Preface