As an amazed world watches the explosive growth of China's increasingly free market economy, international observers hope that this economic liberalization will be followed by greater political liberalization and freedom. This timely volume provides important clues on where Chinese political development is heading. "Democracy Is a Good Thing" brings together the most important work of Yu Keping, a leading Chinese intellectual and prominent figure in official think tanks. Keping's widely read essay "Democracy Is a Good Thing" has been the touchstone for heated debate within China on the desirability of democratic reform. That important piece appears here, along with several of Yu Keping's other influential works on politics and democracy. This collection pulls back the curtain to reveal ongoing debates in Chinese political and intellectual circles, discussions that will go a long way toward determining the future of the world's most populous nation.