How similar to ancient China's Imperial government was Deng Xiaopeng's power base?

by thechao

Early or middle Ming. Or, if you're a Barry Hughart fan, the Tang.

DeSoulis

Can you go into the question a bit more?

Deng Xiaoping's power base was inside the Communist party and to some extent the early benefactors of liberalization. Political parties in the modern sense did not exist under the Ming, I think you might be onto something but I'm not sure what it is.