China 1949

1. What problems did Mao and the Communist party face in 1949, and how did they deal with them?  Where were they successful, and where were they failures?
    
2. How does the outcome of the democracy movement and the result at Tiananmen Square influence the future of China?  Was that the only opportunity for democracy, or is this an ongoing struggle?  What do you think will be the outcome?  Are American leaders right in hoping that bringing in more capitalism will help to create democracy?  Or has China learned how to reap the benefits of capitalism without having to move to democracy?
    
3. What do you see as the biggest strengths and weaknesses of the Chinese government today?  How will these impact the growth of China's economy in the near future?
    
4. Post your topic and write out your thesis statement for your classmates to comment on.  Be sure when commenting you remain positive, but also helpful.  Please note if you don't see an argument, or if there are errors in grammar, syntax, style or if the thesis statement if confusing.  While I will be giving my own feedback, it will be helpful to you if you can see and comment on the other thesis statements as well.
    

5. What has been the most difficult part of your project so far?  Why?  Have you had to overcome any obstacles?  How did you do that?