A group of 15 Chinese delegates including public intellectuals, bloggers, and government officials visited Chicago and Indiana in late October/early November 2012. Organized by the Carter Center, the trip's purpose was to observe the US presidential election process and develop the delegates' understanding of democracy. The delegates participated in seminars at the University of Chicago and visited the League of Women Voters in Chicago and the governor in Indianapolis to learn about the operational and institutional aspects of democracy.

1.
American Presidential
Election and Chinese
Perception
Activities:
The
Chinese
delega-on
of
about
15
people
visited
Chicago
and
Indiana
from
October
30
to
November
7,
2012.
Organized
by
the
Carter
Center,
the
Chinese
delegates
included
public
intellectuals,
renowned
bloggers,
ac-ve
scholars,
and
government
officials.
Center
on
Religion
and
Chinese
Society
researchers
and
student
interns
from
Wilke
program
helped
to
organize
some
of
the
events
and
par-cipated
in
almost
all
of
the
ac-vi-es,
including
visi-ng
the
league
of
Women
Voters
in
Chicago,
par-cipa-ng
in
seminars
at
University
of
Chicago,
visi-ng
governor
in
Indianapolis,
and
watch
the
elec-on
process
in
LafayeNe
area.
Democracy
is
a
complex
combina-on
of
social
and
poli-cal
ins-tu-ons.
The
Chinese
delega-on
observed
many
of
the
layers
and
dimensions
during
their
brief
visit.
Many
delegates
showed
great
interest
in
the
opera-onal
details
of
the
elec-on
as
well
as
the
broad
ideas
and
ins-tu-onal
designs
of
democracy.By
par-cipa-ng
into
Wilke
programme,
we
have
learned
how
to
make
qualita-ve
and
quan-ta-ve
research.
In
order
to
get
informa-on
of
our
project,
we
have
studied
how
to
use
database
to
research.
By
making
in-­‐depth
interview,
we
have
known
the
percep-on
of
China’s
elites
on
U.S.
elec-on
and
built
coac-on
with
them.
Introducation Discussion
Under
instruc-on
of
Dr.
Fenggang
Yang
from
Center
on
Religion
and
Chinese
Society
at
Purdue
University,
we
cooperated
with
Carter
Center
China
Programme
to
research
on
the
Chinese
elites’
percep-on
on
U.S.
elec-on.
In
last
semester,
we
helped
Center
on
Religion
and
Chinese
Society
to
organize
several
events
to
facilitate
the
Carter
Center
group,
such
as
forum
on
poli-cal
science
and
sociology
with
prof
James
McCain,
visi-ng
governor
in
Indianapolis,
watching
process
of
vo-ng
in
Greater
LafayeNe
Area.
Center
on
Religion
and
Chinese
Society
at
Purdue
www.purdue.edu/crcs