| ID | 181208 |
| Title Proper | Defending Stability under Threat |
| Other Title Information | Sensitive Periods and the Repression of Protest in Urban China |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Steinhardt, H Christoph |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | How does the elevated threat of protests during sensitive periods affect state repression in a high-capacity authoritarian regime? Drawing on a dataset of over 3,100 protests in three Chinese megacities, this study provides three key findings: first, the frequency of protests before and during national-level focal events and subsequent to national-level disruptive events is depressed, suggesting preemptive repression is taking place. Second, the likelihood of responsive repression is marginally reduced before and during local-level focal events and slightly elevated after national-level disruptive events. Third, contention is intensified when local political elites meet. Sensitive periods do not bring contention to a standstill and costly bursts of responsive repression were not observed. Stability maintenance during times of increased regime-vulnerability was thus less rigid than often assumed. |
| `In' analytical Note | Journal of Contemporary China Vol. 30, No.130; Jul 2021: p.526-549 |
| Journal Source | Journal of Contemporary China Vol: 30 No 130 |
| Key Words | Urban China ; Sensitive Periods ; Repression of Protest |