| ID | 174400 |
| Title Proper | From Web to Weber |
| Other Title Information | Understanding the Case of "One-Go at Most" as ICT-Driven Government Reform in Contemporary China |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Gao, Xiang ; Xiang Gao, Jie Tan ; Tan, Jie |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | This article argues that the state-society relations in China's digital era are shaped not only by the communication between the citizens and governments but also by the interactions among different levels of governments. Without formal power to keep the government in check, citizens may gain a louder voice through ICTs, yet exert a limited impact on policymaking. Based on a review of policy documents and an in-depth case study of the "One-Go at Most" reform in Zhejiang province, this research argues that the intervention of upper-level governments changes how the citizens and governments interact at the local level. First, the provincial party-government conducts online citizen surveys to collect information on the local governments, aiming to ensure the full implementation of the reform agenda. This strategy also equips the citizens with informal power, which forces the municipal and county governments to be more responsive and accountable with regard to efficient service delivery. Second, the provincial government has initiated the virtual government program to consolidate the new administrative procedures and standards into the cage of codes. This digitalized iron cage constrains the local cadres' discretion and establishes an e-monitoring system. The case of "One-Go at Most" in Zhejiang province provides a vivid example of how top-down mobilized digitalization can lead to a Weberian administrative system that is rational, routinized, and impartial. It is worth noting that the digital iron cage mainly exerts constraints on the administrative system. Stateled digitalization does not lead to formal power sharing between the state and society. This article concludes that the digital Weberian bureaucracy leads to the consolidation of the state's infrastructure power, and the question of whether or not this will facilitate the state's despotic power requires further exploration. |
| `In' analytical Note | China Review Vol. 20, No.3; Aug 2020: p.71-97 |
| Journal Source | China Review 2020-08 20, 3 |
| Key Words | Contemporary China ; Web to Weber ; ICT-Driven Government Reform |