Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1997

highlights of RGC-funded Projects Turbulent Political Environment in the Late Transitional Period As British colonial rule i n Hong Kong gradually draws to an end, the colonial government finds itself i n a political environment that is unprecedentedly turbulent. The impending resumption of Chinese sovereignty over the territory and the increasing involvement of China i n Hong Kong's affairs have virtually reduced its status to that of a caretaker government. Democratic reforms introduced on its own i n i t i a t i ve , however limited in scope, have nonetheless ended its monopo ly on po l i t i ca l power and led to the mushrooming of local political forces who take advantage of the opened floodgates to present incessant political challenges to the departing regime. Political anxieties and fears engendered by uncertainties associated with 1997 have raised political consciousness and spurred political demands on the government, whose capabilities have, however, been sapped by a jittery civil service. How have these political changes tranformed the attitude of Hong Kong people towards democrac y and the colonial regime, and what is their idea of good government? To explore these issues. Prof. Lau Siu-kai of the Department of Sociology and Prof. Kuan Hsin-chi of the Department of Governmen t and Public Administration embarked on a research project entitled 'Political Culture and Political Participation of the Hong Kong Chinese', wit h Prof. M.K. Lee and Prof. S.W. Leung f r om the Department of Ap p l i e d Science at the Hong Kong Polytechnic Universit y (HKPU) as their co-researchers. Split into two groups, the four researchers drew up two sets of questionnaires. The researchers from The Chinese University examined attitudes towards democracy and political authorities wh i le the HKPU researchers looked into political participation and behaviours such as vo t i ng and demonstrating. The project was awarded HK$300,000 by the Research Grants Council in 1991. Conservative Political Sentiments The CUHK stud y was based p r i ma r i ly on data obtained f r om a questionnaire survey of 868 Hong Kong Chinese residents aged 18 or over. The results indicate that political sentiments in Hong Kong tend to be conservative. —A Political Culture Unique to Hong Kong 27