Toward a Zero-sum Game or a Win-win Game? China's State and Society Interactions in Different Issue Domains

Session Submission Type: Organized Panel Proposal Application

Abstract

In a mass of literature discussing the state-society relations of contemporary China, studies draw different observations and conclusions about the power relations between the state and the society. Some suggest a zero-sum game between state and society by arguing that the augment of social organizations and social activities may lessen the state’s ruling capacity. Others contend that a win-win situation can be achieved by incorporating social forces into the public process to enhance the ruler’s capability of governance and authoritarian resilience. Most studies, nevertheless, take a snap shot of the different cases of issue domains and a lack of dialogue may lead us to over-generalize from a partial picture or as incomplete evidence to negate the other depictions of state-society relations.

This panel offers a more comparative picture by emphasizing the on-going interaction between various state and societal actors across different governance issues. Three papers adopt in-depth qualitative analyses of the process of state-society interaction in each policy domain, namely, “community-based governance,” “gender governance,” and “religious governance.” One paper tries to draw a cross-issue observation by making the Quantitative Case Survey (QCS) analysis.

These analyses provide us a chance to reflect upon whether certain patterns of state-society interaction, either in the particular issue area or across all domains, may lead to greater societal influence or to achieve better governance through state-society cooperation. Such findings not only present a more comprehensive picture of state-society relations in China, but also offers insight into the causal dynamics of authoritarian resilience.

Area of Study

• China and Inner Asia

Session Organizer

• Chun-Chih Chang, Xiamen University

Chair

• Szu-Chien Hsu, Academia Sinica

Individual Presentations

• Measuring State-Society Relations in Governance in China: A Study of Cases in Existing Literature 2005-2014 - Szu-Chien Hsu, Academia Sinica; Chun-Chih Chang, Xiamen University

• Emerging Policy Entrepreneurs?: Beijing Homeowners’ Participation in Legislation - Yousun Chung, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies

• The Tripartite Interaction among State, Society, and International Sector and its outcome in China’s AIDS Governance - Chanhsi Wang, National Chengchi University

• De Jure Ambiguities and Enclosure of Temple Property in China - Kuei-min Chang, Columbia University

• Public Participation in Community Governance - Szu-Chien Hsu, Academia Sinica; Muyi Chou, National Taiwan University