A high-ranking, retired Communist that fought with Mao during World War II and the revolution told me that the seventy million party members (like America's Democrats and Republicans) do not always agree on issues. The difference is that the world hears little of what goes on behind the scenes in China. Doing business that way has little to do with the party. That type of behavior is classically Chinese—not to talk about the elephant in the room or to hang out your dirty laundry for everyone to see as the West does.

In addition, in America, the outcome for a Presidential Election is decided by the Electoral College, card-carrying members from the two major political parties. The popular vote does not elect the American president. The Communist Party acts similar to America's Electoral College without the hypocrisy of a popular vote. Critics argue the American Electoral College is inherently undemocratic.

Unlike Mao's time, today's Chinese leaders must answer to the seventy-million party members that are scattered throughout China. These people listen to the 1.3 billion Chinese that do not belong to the party. The result: if an elected official is not doing his or her job, that person usually isn't reelected.

Other changes took place after Mao. Under Deng Xiaoping, the People's Republic announced a policy of "socialism with Chinese characteristics." John Gittings in The Changing Face of China quoted Deng Xiaoping as saying, "Planning and market forces are not the essential difference between socialism and capitalism. A planned economy is not the definition of socialism, because there is planning under capitalism; the market economy happens under socialism, too. Planning and market forces are both ways of controlling economic activity."

Soon after Mao died in 1976, The Beijing Spring was introduced. This was a brief period lasting from 1977 into 1978. During that time, the public was allowed greater freedom to criticize the government, which wasn't allowed under Mao.

There was also a new Beijing Spring between 1997 to November 1998 where the Chinese government relaxed some control over political expression and organization. It was during this time that China signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.