Professor Jessica Teets from Middlebury College and Jude Blanchette discuss resilient authoritarianism in China, focusing on public comment periods and citizen interaction with policymakers. They analyze Xi Jinping's governance style, the impact on Chinese politics, and the regime's resiliency in 2024, emphasizing a responsive government and economic strategy.
China adopts flexible policymaking under authoritarianism for effective information flows.
Xi Jinping promotes authoritarian deliberation to enhance governance legitimacy through public feedback mechanisms.
Challenges arise from a centralized governance approach, limiting local innovation and adaptability in policy-making.
Deep dives
Concept of Resilient Authoritarianism in China
In the podcast, Jessica Teets explains the concept of resilient authoritarianism that emerged in the 2000s in China. Unlike typical authoritarian regimes with limited decision-makers and rigid processes, China adopted a more flexible policymaking approach. This flexibility allowed for policy experiments and effective information flows. Scholars focused on mechanisms like authoritarian deliberation, such as public comment periods and town halls, to understand China's unique governance style despite being an authoritarian regime.
Xi Jinping's Approach to Governance and Authoritarian Deliberation
Under Xi Jinping's leadership, China has emphasized authoritarian deliberation as a means to gather better information for policymaking. Xi Jinping has promoted responsive governance reforms that prioritize listening to and addressing citizens' concerns. This approach aims to establish a new social contract where legitimacy is derived from being responsive to public feedback. Xi Jinping has institutionalized mechanisms like public comment periods and expanded feedback channels to enhance governance.
Incorporating Public Feedback into Policy Changes
The Chinese government actively incorporates public feedback, such as public comments on draft laws, into policy changes. Various mechanisms, like public comment periods and expert consultations, allow citizens and organizations to provide input on legislation. Examples from the podcast show how public feedback influenced changes in laws, like the Domestic Violence Law and the Charity Law, demonstrating a responsiveness to citizen input in the policy-making process.
Challenges and Adaptations in China's Political System
While China's governance system under Xi Jinping has shown adaptability and responsiveness to public input, challenges remain. The system has become more centralized and less flexible in terms of local governance autonomy. This shift has raised concerns about reduced space for local actors to innovate and adapt policies to specific contexts. The balancing act between coordination and rigidity in policy-making, exemplified in the environmental sector reforms, will be crucial in determining the system's resilience and effectiveness.
Evaluation of Xi Jinping's Governance Resilience and Economic Focus
Despite criticisms and concerns about policy rigidity, Xi Jinping's governance approach has emphasized responsive government and policy coordination. The social contract built on responsiveness and policy feedback has enhanced governance legitimacy domestically. While China faces economic challenges and internal dissent, Xi Jinping's focus on restructuring the economy and common prosperity policies reflects a long-term vision over short-term economic indicators. The impacts of these policies on economic resilience and long-term success remain to be seen.
In this episode of Pekingology, Freeman Chair in China Studies Jude Blanchette is joined by Jessica Teets, Professor at Middlebury College and Associate Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Chinese Political Science. They discuss her work on resilient authoritarianism and information flows in contemporary China.
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
