Table of contents : Contents Note on Romanization Abbreviations Acknowledgments CHAPTER 1. Introduction: Institutional Design in Authoritarian Settings CHAPTER 2. The Rise of Constitutionalism CHAPTER 3. Power Resources and Authority Relationships CHAPTER 4. Relative Power Positions of the Major Players CHAPTER 5. Institutional Preferences of the Major Players CHAPTER 6. The Succession Struggle: From Cabinet to Presidential Government, 1925–1928 CHAPTER 7. The Grand Anti-Chiang Coalition: From Presidential to Cabinet Government, 1928–1931 CHAPTER 8. The Destruction of Chiang’s Major Rivals: From Cabinet Back to Presidentia Government, 1931–1937 CHAPTER 9. Conclusion: A Comparative Perspective Notes Selected Bibliography Index