The regulatory culture of contemporary China is reminiscent of the United States in the earth 20th century. Industrial tragedies like the Triangle Shirtwaist Fi

The regulatory culture of contemporary China is reminiscent of the United States in the earth 20th century. Industrial tragedies like the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and chilling exposés like "The Jungle" helped alert consumers to the underlying costs of their remarkable economic progress. As a result, elected representatives had to reform regulation or face failure at the next election. This is where the comparison begins to break down. The lack of accountability for local Chinese officials has unrest met with tear gas. For the Chinese leadership, the only acceptable means of change must come from within, which could be a grinding process for a leadership class that existentially defends its need to always be right.