How the Reading-Writing System Shapes Mindsets: A Source Analysis of the Democracy Discourse

Building on previous chapters that examined the impacts of listening and speaking, this chapter shifts to the reading-writing dimension, which presents unique challenges in isolating its influence due to its strong ties to education. It explores how the reading-writing system of the official language indirectly shapes political understanding, focusing on the concept of "democracy" within China’s official language field. Rather than attempting to separate the influence of reading-writing from educational effects, the chapter adopts a "backward" approach to examine how written political language structures shape public perceptions of political concepts. The analysis centers on how official discourse integrates and frames "democracy" in a way that aligns with the established political regime while acknowledging liberal interpretations of the term. By studying the discourse in *People’s Daily*—the pivotal source of official political language—over five decades using computer-assisted text analysis, the study investigates how the democracy discourse in Chinese political language is framed. The chapter identifies a "refocusing framing strategy" where the government defines democracy not by justifying its regime but by aligning the term with national policy priorities. This strategic framing allows the discourse to appear consistent with core values upheld by liberal democracies while preserving the legitimacy of the established political system. The findings reveal the sources of Chinese citizens’ distinctive understanding of political concepts like democracy and highlight the power of reading-writing in shaping political mindsets.