The Qin dynasty brought in a new sense of absolute obedience and lack of freedom of thought. Books were burned. We can see this tendency to obey authorityin the Chinese today.
Those who dared to oppose the Qin were killed, so with the obedience secured and life-styles ordered by those in power, great projects could be undertaken despite the shortness of the dynasty, just 15 years. In that time the Great Wall was begun and the way paved for international trade.
The Qin dynasty had 24 provinces; Confucianism along with all other non-legalist philosophies such as Daoism was stopped by the First Emperor. Legalism was the system used and the feudal system used and this denounced the feudal system used during Zhou dynasty. In legalism, the emperor had total control. The system encouraged severe punishments, particularly when the emperor was disobeyed.
The form of government consisted of a collectivization of program and decimation of aristocratic power. Farmers were freed from serfdom; the people were made responsible for each other’s actions. If a person did not behave according to the rules then other were required to report him. If they did not do this, they were quartered or beheaded.