Regional models of Chinese rural development: Organizational power, associational power, and coalitional power

• In Event: 40420 - Section on Political Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 8: Power and Politics

Abstract

Drawing on five months of fieldwork, this study seeks to examine and explain regional variations in development strategies under China’s rural revitalization campaign. It focuses on two critical informal institutions: (1) grassroots cadre professionalization, which refers to the extent to which local officials rationalize their roles and comply with top-down regulations; and (2) citizen autonomy, defined as villagers’ capacity to oversee and challenge the actions of local cadres. These informal institutions shape the distribution and intersection of organizational, associational, and coalitional power across different regions, resulting in diverse political economies of development.
For instance, Zhejiang province, characterized by strong and autonomous associational power from civil society and robust organizational power from professionalized cadres, adopts a legal-rational approach that minimizes personal involvement and informal settlements while promoting marketization. In contrast, Jiangsu province has adopted a local developmental state approach, which aligns with its professionalized organization and historically strong coalitional power in the absence of a robust civil society. Meanwhile, local officials in northern and inland regions tend to retain a significant degree of ambiguity and flexibility in governance practices. In areas with relatively weak organizational power, regions with strong associational power often adopt a mobilization approach led by local leadership. Conversely, in regions lacking both strong associational and organizational power, a power vacuum has resulted in corruption, disorder, and a predatory local state.
This thesis argues that the dynamic interplay between different types of power gives rise to distinct political allegiances and developmental approaches, reflecting the evolution of development theories across historical stages and contexts.

Author

• Di Xin, New York University