Election procedures in rural China have improved greatly over the last 20 years and a good number of reasonably free fair elections been held. But changes 'exercise power' not kept up with 'access to power'. In many communities, township authorities, Party branches, social forces (such as clans, religious groups, underworld elements) continue impede democratic rule. This suggests that purely procedural definition democracy is problematic democratization depends on power configuration which...

Studies on public expression in China tend to focus how the state and internet users (netizens) struggle over limits of online expression. Few have systematically traced discourse competition within state-imposed boundaries, particularly authoritarian has adapted manage, rather than censor, This paper explores evaluates state's attempts manipulate without resorting censorship coercion by examining role commentators, known as “fifty-cent army”, Chinese cyberspace. To cope with challenge...

Abstract Recent studies on internet politics in China have gone beyond the once dominant control–liberalization perspective and directed intellectual attention to varieties of online activism. Based extensive in-depth ethnographic work, this project explores pluralization expression Chinese cyberspace. Following a constituency users who identify themselves as “voluntary fifty-cent army,” paper how these acquire consolidate their identity combat criticism that targets authoritarian regime....

Autocracies can conduct “strategic censorship” online by selectively targeting different types of content and adjusting the level information control. While studies have confirmed state’s selective behavior in censorship, few empirically examined how autocracies may adjust control level. Using data with a 6-year span, this paper tests whether Chinese state scales up over citizenry complaints reaction to series socio-political events. The results show that instead responding mass protests...

Urban heritage preservation is gaining momentum in China as massive urban renovation has put many historical sites under threat. A group of renowned scholars, experts and artists have played an important role leading coordinating the movement. How do these cultural elites promote preservation? they mediate state–society interactions navigate authoritarian regime to achieve their goals? This article explores how take advantage intermediary position between officialdom citizenry by not only...

In what ways has the expansion of Internet transformed local governance in China? Through analysis over 2000 leaked official emails from a district-level propaganda office, article finds that served more as tool to enhance control rather than improve at level. particular, authorities have prioritized commentating tasks assigned upper levels while keeping close watch on negative publicity both national and problems. Their occasional responses online complaints are often likely meant satisfy...

Abstract How does communism as an ideology fare in the post‐reform digital age China? What are implications for China's ideological governance? Through online ethnographic work and text analysis, this paper identifies analyzes how ideation a practice is (re)memorized, (re)presented, (re)interpreted popular fictions. In doing so, it reveals such “communism nostalgia” passes on “red genes,” shaping citizens' understanding of history, communist ideology, their expectations toward current...

The article explores how citizens may bargain for distribution in strong authoritarian regimes. Combining in-depth case study and the survey experiment approach, it finds that regimes' pursuit of certain political priorities enable unlawful bargaining, an increasingly popular form bargaining allows to take hostage state goals name their own prices cooperation absence accountability institutions such as electoral competition. Unlike conventional participation collective action regimes,...

How do racial and gender stereotypes affect immigration attitudes? Studies on this topic have focused primarily developed rather than developing countries. To close the gap, we explore phenomenon in China, a economy that is evolving from source of emigration to destination with its citizens having little direct experience immigrants. Via two waves survey experiments over 4,000 respondents, find cues female immigrants increase public approval liberal policies, while Black discourage them....

The article aims at offering a bird’s-eye overview of the evolution cyber politics in China past 30 years, tracking real-world developments while surveying main trends scholarly field. It periodizes three decades into phases with focus on changing state–society relations. reveals that has evolved from period an empowering Internet state adapting to catch up one authoritarian resilience when social participation and control reached balance, ultimately “authoritarian dominance” phase...

This article examines popular nationalism and regime support in the Xi era by evaluating news comments from a major overseas Chinese website on 2018 constitutional amendments removing presidential term limits. It finds that event was not only contested among domestic Chinese, but also has alienated many nationalists who previously supported regime. Even subsequent pro-regime discourse is less focused for or regime, more about distrust of West dissidents. However, some citizens have become...

Abstract Using a detailed case study of house eviction in peri-urban China as well original data from an online survey experiment, this article explores the opportunistic bargaining phenomenon which citizens leverage policy priorities authorities with tactics that are not approved by state to bargain for goals beyond those promised state. We find is widely accepted Chinese and such inclination encouraged successful precedents clear signals opening through government priorities; however, it...

The previous literature suggests that citizens calculate the benefits of immigrants by assessing their impact on economic prospects. This paper argues a type social demand–the demand for marriage–also induces support more liberal immigration policies. We conducted survey experiment with 3,000 adults in China, where population faces shortage women marriage market. respondents were assigned to four groups, namely, control group, group low-skilled worker cues, high-skilled and market crisis...