Elites and Governance in China

Description

This book reveals the complex relationship between elite perceptions and behaviour, and governance, in China. It moves away from existing scholarship by focusing on functionaries, grass-roots elites, leading intellectuals, and opinion-makers in China and by looking beyond the top leadership, makes a significant contribution to our understanding of shared governance and broadened political participation in China. The chapters in this collection explore the elites’ role as opinion-makers, technical experts, producers of knowledge, and executives or managers, and pose a number of questions, the answers to which are crucial to understanding future political and economic development in China. What are elite perceptions of governance, inequality and justice; what do the elites mean by good governance; what is the influence of non-Chinese Communist Party elites in policy-making and implementation in China; how have they exerted their influence in the PRC and influenced its direction of future development; and what have grass-roots elites contributed to governance in local communities? Providing a keen insight into the role elites have played in governing China since 1978, this book is a pioneering effort to bring together elite studies and governance studies. As such, it will be highly relevant for policy-makers within international organizations, governments, and NGOs outside China as well as appealing to scholars and students interested in Chinese politics and governance. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of illustrations List of contributors 1. Introduction: elites and governance in China References 2. Discourses of justice and class: impact of China’s intellectual elites on social policy Introduction Intellectual elites vis-à-vis the party-state Discourses of social justice A party-state perspective Intellectual discourses Discourses of social classes The CCP and class Intellectual elites and class Overlapping consensus on the middle class(es) Conclusion Notes References 3. The role of intellectual elitesin China’s political reform: The discourse of governance Importing ‘governance’ and ‘good governance’ to China More zhili (governance), less tongzhi (government) Good governance vs democracy Conclusion Notes References 4. Moving between the inner circle and the outer circle: think tanks and policy making in China Institutions Changes and continuities Channels between the inner and outer circles Channel 1: consultations with policy makers Channel 2: internal reports via government channels Channel 3: conferences and public policy debates Channel 4: policy NGOs Channel 5: outside-system (tizhiwai体制外) discussions Channel 6: overseas scholars Channel 7: highly specialized professional community Reasons for change Future directions Notes References 5. Master planning the nation: elites and the transformation of China’s built environment Introduction: Mrs Guo moves house Elites and the built environment Master planning Urban Planning Exhibition Centres Xiaoqu part I: the planner Xiaoqu part II: the developer Conclusions Notes References 6. Community governance and elite activism in urban China Introduction Sources of the elite’s neighborhood activism The evolution of grassroots politics in urban China Elite activism in the Renheng community Conclusion Notes References 7.Intermediate associations,grassroots elites and collective petitioning in rural China Introduction Definitions of key concepts Existing theories of intermediate associations and collective action Descriptive statistics of national survey data A new approach Respective cases Shadow Puppet Maverick Cooperator Conclusions and discussion Notes References 8. Information collection and anticorruption in China Introduction Information collection and anticorruption Anticorruption in China: sources of information Limitations of citizens’ reports Constraints faced by citizens Political calculations as a screening mechanism Inconsistency in disciplining malfeasant agents Conclusion Notes References Index