| ID | 093235 |
| Title Proper | Fragmented authoritarianism 2.0 |
| Other Title Information | political pluralization in the Chinese policy process |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Mertha, Andrew |
| Publication | 2009. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Traditional analyses of political liberalization in China focus on elections or other facets of democratization. But they cannot account for the fact that although China remains authoritarian, it is nevertheless responsive to the increasingly diverse demands of Chinese society. I argue that the rules of the policy-making process are still captured by the fragmented authoritarianism framework, but that the process has become increasingly pluralized: barriers to entry have been lowered, at least for certain actors (hitherto peripheral officials, non-governmental organizations and the media) identified here as "policy entrepreneurs." With policy change as the variable of interest, I compare three cases of hydropower policy outcomes. I argue that policy entrepreneurs' ability to frame the issue effectively explains variation in hydropower policy outcomes. I then extend these findings to an unlikely policy area, international trade, specifically, the 2001-06 Sino-EU trade talks over child-resistant lighter safety regulations. |
| `In' analytical Note | China Quarterly vol. ,No. 200; Dec 2009: p.995-1012 |
| Journal Source | China Quarterly vol. ,No. 200; Dec 2009: p.995-1012 |
| Key Words | Fragmented Authoritarianism 2.0 ; Political Pluralization ; Chinese Policy ; Political Liberalization ; China ; Chinese Society |