(iPoster) Digital Age Participatory Democracy 2.0: An Empirical Analysis of Chinese Cases

• In Event: Poster Sessions: Information Technology and Politics & Political Networks
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Information Technology and Politics

Abstract

Introduction
The rapid development of information technology and globalization has profoundly reshaped patterns of governance and democratic practice. Digital technologies increasingly mediate citizens’ interactions with public power, ranging from urban governance platforms and intra-party or parliamentary mechanisms to data-driven and AI-assisted deliberation. Existing research presents a dual picture: while digital tools can lower participation costs and enhance transparency, they may also generate new inequalities, technocratic bias, and risks to democratic quality.
Compared with traditional democratic mechanisms, political participation in digital environments has become increasingly individualized. Collective and organization-based engagement is partly replaced by decentralized, preference-driven, and personalized forms of interaction enabled by digital communication technologies.
China offers a distinctive context for examining this transformation. With extensive digital infrastructure and rich grassroots governance practices, China’s digital democracy is embedded in the institutional framework of whole-process people’s democracy, while also shaped by regional disparities and urban–rural divides. This study conducts a comparative analysis of fifteen digital democracy practices implemented in China between 2022 and 2026. It examines their institutional design, operational outcomes, and constraints, aiming to identify how democratic innovation can balance technological advancement, citizens’ rights protection, and social equity in building a more inclusive digital democratic ecosystem.
Research Questions
This study addresses three interrelated questions:
What common characteristics and innovative models have emerged in China’s digital democracy practices in promoting civic engagement, enhancing political transparency, and improving democratic inclusiveness?
What key challenges constrain these practices, including cross-departmental data fragmentation, participation inequality caused by digital divides, and variations in the quality of civic engagement?
Through comparative analysis across eastern, central, and western China, what combinations of institutional, technological, and organizational factors shape the effectiveness of digital democracy, and how do these factors interact across different contexts?
Methodology
Digital Democratic Affordance Framework
Building on Digital Democratic Affordance Theory, this study conceptualizes digital technology as a mechanism that lowers participation costs and reshapes civic engagement. It further examines both enabling effects and potential negative externalities within institutionalized democratic practices.
Comparative Case Selection
Fifteen representative cases were selected according to the regional classification standards of the National Bureau of Statistics of China, covering multiple regions and three core practice types: grassroots consultation, People’s Congress participation, and government oversight. All cases have been implemented for at least one year and demonstrate clear institutional relevance beyond short-term pilot projects.
Core Analytical Method: fsQCA
Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) is employed to identify causal configurations influencing the effectiveness of digital democracy practices.
Variable Calibration: “Digital democracy effectiveness” is treated as the outcome variable and calibrated into fuzzy-set membership scores based on indicators such as participation rates and issue resolution outcomes. Condition variables include policy support, technological suitability, organizational capacity, and regional digital infrastructure.
Truth Table Construction: Cases are assigned to truth table configurations according to membership scores. Consistency thresholds are applied to identify valid causal patterns, and contradictory configurations are addressed through contextual reassessment.
Configuration and Robustness Analysis: Using fsQCA 3.0 software, complex, intermediate, and parsimonious solutions are generated, with emphasis on intermediate solutions. Robustness is tested by adjusting consistency thresholds and substituting calibration variables.
Supplementary Text Analysis
Text mining techniques are used to extract key themes from policy documents and participation records, including public concerns, policy priorities, and sentiment orientation. These results support variable calibration and interpretation of causal mechanisms.
Expected Contributions
Theoretical Contributions: By systematically comparing Chinese digital democracy practices, this study refines digital democracy theory and provides empirical grounding for the concept of Participatory Democracy 2.0, particularly from a citizen-centered public value perspective.
Practical Contributions: The findings offer actionable insights for policymakers and platform designers, informing the design, implementation, and evaluation of digital democracy initiatives, including the strategic use of open data to promote inclusive participation at the local level.

Authors

• Wenhui Dong, Communication University of China

• Mai Tian, Renmin University of China