Showing papers by "Thomas Heberer published in 2016"

Whither local governance in contemporary China? Reconfiguration for more effective policy implementation

Abstract: This article describes China’s reorganization of its local governance system since the early 2000s. Policy shifts, administrative restructuring and intensified public inclusion have considerably modified local governance, especially in the country’s vast rural areas and, we argue, have laid the groundwork for continuous and more effective policy implementation amidst increasing complexity and challenges. Based on years of fieldwork on new rural development policies, urbanization programs and private sector development in China, we start by briefly describing the most important developments in local governance, especially at the county level and below. We then concentrate on two aspects with particular relevance: first, we trace the reconfigured characteristics of internal governmental procedures of policy adjustment and implementation. Second, we find new types of external stakeholder inclusion, which we analyze based on the example of local government interactions with private entrepreneurs in pr...

The Chinese ‘Developmental State 3.0’ and the resilience of authoritarianism

Abstract: Political scientists frequently argue that authoritarian systems are per se economically inefficient, non-innovative, and without legitimacy. China’s economic success and relative stability in recent decades have shown, however, that such postulates are far too simplistic. Accordingly, the question is why China is managing to develop so smoothly and how its stability and legitimacy are to be explained. This article takes up the concept of the ‘developmental state’ in order to better explain and localize the function and behavior of the Chinese state. It argues that developmental states exhibit specific features that help elucidate and explain the ‘resilience’ of the Chinese political system.

Reflections on the concept of representation and its application to China

Abstract: This paper presents both a literature review on the issue of political representation and the preliminary framework of a sub-project on new political claims of representation in China. It is primarily concerned with portraying and typing diverse schools of thought in both a "Western" and a Chinese context, while the sub-project is part of the French-German Joint Cooperation Project "New Political Representative Claims: A Global View: France, Germany, Brazil, China, India". The paper is organized as follows: (1) The concept of representation is examined by a brief review of the history of this concept, including the existence of two diverging strands of representation in "Western" discourses. (2) We then examine the meanings of representation, its definitions, and its peculiarities. Points (1) and (2) in particular are based on a literature review. (3) We discuss the issue of representation in a non-democratic, authoritarian setting in general and in China specifically in light of the fact that almost no literature on representation in authoritarian polities exists. (4) We outline the Chinese domestic discourse on political representation. (5) Finally, we clarify the distinction between political representation and participation on the one hand and elections as a specific feature of representation on the other. We then conclude with a summary of our preliminary findings.

No. 99 (2015): ‘Authoritarian Resilience’ and Effective Policy Implementation in Contemporary China: A Local State Perspective

Abstract: The authors argue that China’s ‘authoritarian resilience’ cannot be fully grasped without adopting a local state perspective to examine the way that policy-making plays out at county level and below. Although local cadre bureaucracies have to obey upper levels, they still have substantial maneuvering space to shape the implementation of policies. Arguably, effective policy implementation is a manifestation and a result of systemic adaptiveness, effectiveness refering to the way that policies are adjusted according to local development blueprints, managed in terms of policy coordination across local government bureaus, experimentation and innovation, regular evaluation, and mobilization of public support. This article is structured as follows: first, it highlights important policy changes and institutional reforms launched by the central government in the early 2000s, which impacted strongly on local state governance and laid the groundwork for effective policy implementation. The authors then focus on the ‘Construction of a New Socialist Countryside’ ‘macro-policy’ as a frame of reference to show how local governments at county and township levels ensure effective policy implementation. It is argued that local cadres act as developmental agents who are able to manoeuver successfully between central state requirements and local needs to ensure that things are getting done ‘on the ground’. Subsequently, we show how local governments interact with and ‘guide’ private entrepreneurs as important stakeholders in implementing local development blueprints and strengthening public goods provision. In the conclusion, the main findings and arguments are summarized.

No. 90 (2012): Some Reflections on the Current Situation in China

Abstract: The paper examines recent political and social developments in the People’s Republic of China. It highlights some of the principle features in current Chinese politics: fragmentation of both the system and its actors; the role of the Chinese state as a developmental state; the issue of whether the party state exhibits stability and legitimacy. Furthermore, the discourses on political change within Chinese politics and intellectuals are addressed, the preconditions for a stable democracy are discussed and finally the function of the current Chinese state will be assessed.

Fifty Years On: The ‘Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution’ In the Age of the Internet—Still Haunting China

Abstract: This article takes as its starting point the current discussion in China about how to assess the Cultural Revolution ( CR ) of 1966–1976 and whether it might recur in one form or another. For readers unfamiliar with this movement, we first present an overview of its origins, course and consequences. Since this modern Chinese trauma is inseparable from the political views and objectives of its initiator, Mao Zedong, the latter’s role will also be addressed. Second, we will show that while the CR is indeed officially a largely unaddressed and under-researched issue in China (frequently described as a taboo), it nevertheless remains the subject of an intensive, ongfoing debate, particularly on the Internet. To illustrate this, we will examine recent public discourse in China to show that a societal reconstruction of collective memory about lessons learned and notions of a recurrence of the CR is actually taking place in a new social space in the form of ‘connective action’. Third, we will enlarge on whether there are indications of the emergence of a new CR under the leadership of Xi Jinping. We conclude that despite leftist voices there are no real indications that the Cultural Revolution will be repeated.

No. 99 (2015): ‘Authoritarian Resilience’ and Effective Policy Implementation in Contemporary China

Abstract: The authors argue that China’s ‘authoritarian resilience’ cannot be fully grasped without adopting a local state perspective to examine the way that policy-making plays out at county level and below. Although local cadre bureaucracies have to obey upper levels, they still have substantial maneuvering space to shape the implementation of policies. Arguably, effective policy implementation is a manifestation and a result of systemic adaptiveness, effectiveness refering to the way that policies are adjusted according to local development blueprints, managed in terms of policy coordination across local government bureaus, experimentation and innovation, regular evaluation, and mobilization of public support. This article is structured as follows: first, it highlights important policy changes and institutional reforms launched by the central government in the early 2000s, which impacted strongly on local state governance and laid the groundwork for effective policy implementation. The authors then focus on the ‘Construction of a New Socialist Countryside’ ‘macro-policy’ as a frame of reference to show how local governments at county and township levels ensure effective policy implementation. It is argued that local cadres act as developmental agents who are able to manoeuver successfully between central state requirements and local needs to ensure that things are getting done ‘on the ground’. Subsequently, we show how local governments interact with and ‘guide’ private entrepreneurs as important stakeholders in implementing local development blueprints and strengthening public goods provision. In the conclusion, the main findings and arguments are summarized.