NGOs, the State, and Legitimacy in Contemporary China

NGOs, the State, and Legitimacy in Contemporary China
Author: Eunhou Song
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2020
Genre:
ISBN:

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What explains the explosive growth of the NGO sector in China in recent decades? The extant literature on civil society and the state focuses on the organizations themselves, which falls short in explaining the phenomenon. By parting away from the agency and focusing on the state incentives, this dissertation explores why the state has facilitated the growth of the sector in recent decades. An important assumption that is clarified in this dissertation is that the NGO sector in China not only comprises civilian-established civil society organizations but also government-established groups and former public agencies that have been transitioned to NGOs. When examining state incentives, two incentives emerge - one is economic, which relates to the idea of using the legal term of "NGOs" to downsize parts of the bureaucracy, and second is political, which centers on using NGOs to outsource services with the ultimate goal of appeasing the masses. The former strategy emerged as early as the early 90s and was implemented in several provinces in the early 2000s as a response to fiscal shocks stemming from the tax-for-fee reforms. The comparison of China's case with NGO policy development in other authoritarian states -- Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus suggests that China is unique in that its incentive for NGO sector expansion was not only economic but political. The empirical evidence is drawn from county-level statistics, rural governance data (CHIP), fieldwork, web-scraped data on NGOs, a unique survey conducted in the field, and case studies.

Regime Legitimacy in Contemporary China

Regime Legitimacy in Contemporary China
Author: Thomas Heberer
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 401
Release: 2008-08-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1134036299

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Using in-depth case studies of a wide-range of political, social and economic reforms in contemporary China this volume sheds light on the significance and consequences of institutional change for stability of the political system in China. The contributors examine how reforms shape and change Communist rule and Chinese society, and to what extent they may engender new legitimacy for the CCP regime and argue that authoritarian regimes like the PRC can successfully generate stability in the same way as democracies. Topics addressed include: ideological reform, rural tax- for-fees reforms, elections in villages and urban neighbourhood communities, property rights in rural industries, endogenous political constraints of transition, internalising capital markets, the media market in transition, the current social security system, the labour market environmental policy reforms to anti-poverty policies and NGOs. Exploring the possibility of legitimate one-party rule in China, this book is a stimulating and informative read for students and scholars interested in political science and Chinese politics

NGO Governance and Management in China

NGO Governance and Management in China
Author: Reza Hasmath
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2015-07-16
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1317437136

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As China becomes increasingly integrated into the global system there will be continuing pressure to acknowledge and engage with non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Suffice to say, without a clear understanding of the state’s interaction with NGOs, and vice versa, any political, economic and social analysis of China will be incomplete. This book provides an urgent insight into contemporary state-NGO relations. It brings together the most recent research covering three broad themes, namely the conceptualizations and subsequent functions of NGOs; state-NGO engagement; and NGOs as a mediator between state and society in contemporary China. The book provides a future glimpse into the challenges of state-NGO interactions in China's rapidly developing regions, which will aid NGOs strategic planning in both the short- and long-term. In addition, it allows a measure of predictability in our assessment of Chinese NGOs behaviour, notably when they eventually move their areas of operation from the domestic sphere to an international one. The salient themes, concepts, theories and practice discussed in this book will be of acute interest to students, scholars and practitioners in development studies, public administration, and Chinese and Asian politics. Reza Hasmath is a Lecturer in Chinese Politics at the University of Oxford, UK, and an Associate Professor in Political Science at the University of Alberta, Canada. His research looks at state-society relationships, the labour market experiences of ethnic minorities, and development theories and practices. Jennifer Y.J. Hsu is an Assistant Professor in Political Science at the University of Alberta, Canada. Her recent publications include a co-authored book HIV/AIDS in China: The Economic and Social Determinants (Routledge, 2011), and a co-edited book The Chinese Corporatist State: Adaption, Survival and Resistance (Routledge, 2012).

Non-Governmental Organizations in Contemporary China

Non-Governmental Organizations in Contemporary China
Author: Qiusha Ma
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2005-11-16
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1134224117

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Based on documentary materials including interviews with key players in China, this book charts the development of non-governmental and non-profit organizations in China from the late 1970s to the present day. It recounts how in the aftermath of the 1978 reforms that created a market economy and diversified interests and social life, new institutions and organizations outside of the state system increased dramatically in number, size and influence. These organizations, which barely existed before the reforms began in the late 1970s, carry out many social, economic and cultural tasks neglected by the government. Qiusha Ma examines two key questions crucial to understanding the development of NGOs in China: First, is it possible under China’s one-party state for non-governmental organizations to thrive and play important economic, social and political functions? And secondly, are NGOs facilitating the formation of a civil society in China?

Building Civil Society in Authoritarian China

Building Civil Society in Authoritarian China
Author: John W. Tai
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 151
Release: 2014-08-28
Genre: Law
ISBN: 3319036653

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How is modern civil society created? There are few contemporary studies on this important question and when it is addressed, scholars tend to emphasize the institutional environment that facilitates a modern civil society. However, there is a need for a new perspective on this issue. Contemporary China, where a modern civil society remains in a nascent stage, offers a valuable site to seek new answers. Through a comparative analysis of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in today’s China, this study shows the importance of the human factor, notably the NGO leadership, in the establishment of a modern civil society. In particular, in recognition of the social nature of NGOs, this study engages in a comparative examination of Chinese NGO leaders’ state linkage, media connections and international ties in order to better understand how each factor contributes to effective NGOs.

The Chinese Party-State in the 21st Century

The Chinese Party-State in the 21st Century
Author: Andre Laliberte
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 349
Release: 2007-12-18
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1134058276

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As the Chinese Communist Party continues to move away from socialism, it faces a growing number of challenges to the claim that it represents the sole legitimate governing body in China. In order to reaffirm itself as the most effective force for keeping the country together, the CCP has adapted to contemporary political conundrums in a variety of ways. Rejecting pessimistic perspectives which predict an erosion of state power or naive optimism that state-society relations will evolve towards a Western-style pluralist democracy in the foreseeable future, the contributions to this volume explore many ways in which the CCP selectively adapts to the challenges that have arisen from its strategy of rapid economic growth at the expense of political reform, in order to maintain its authority and relevance. Examining trends such as the reliance on religious charities originating from outside the PRC, the revival of local governance in urban settings, the passing of legislation for workers, or the multiplication of environmental non-governmental organizations, this book tackles the question of whether the Chinese government can overcome these challenges. The Chinese Party-State in the 21st Century: Adaptation and the Reinvention of Legitimacy w ill appeal to students and scholars of Chinese politics, Asian politics, comparative politics and political sociology.

Non-Governmental Organisations in China

Non-Governmental Organisations in China
Author: Yiyi Lu
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2008-10-27
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1134047355

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As Chinese society becomes more open, and hopes rise that control by the Communist Party may become more relaxed, a great deal is expected from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the formation of civil society. This book, based on extensive original research including detailed interview research in over 40 Chinese NGOs, discusses the current position of NGOs within China. It argues that although all NGOs – both those originating as a result of government initiatives, and those which are popularly-organised – are dependent on the state, all enjoy a very large degree of autonomy. This autonomy arises in part because of the limited capacity of central government to control NGOs, and in part because of the fragmented and non-monolithic nature of the state, which enables individual bureaucratic patrons to protect particular NGOs, especially officially-organised ones, from the full impact of state control. The book also discusses the skill base of NGOs, showing that this is somewhat limited, and argues that, contrary to current hopes that NGOs and thereby civil society may flourish, the lack of state control is already leading to an "uncivil society" where rules do not exist or are ignored, and where organisations which are supposed to work for the public interest are being used to serve illegitimate private interests instead.

State of Exchange

State of Exchange
Author: Jennifer Y.J. Hsu
Publisher: UBC Press
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2017-01-27
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 077483367X

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Non-governmental organizations have increased dramatically in China since the 1970s, despite operating in a restrictive authoritarian environment. With labour migrants moving to the cities en masse in search of higher wages and better standards of living, the central and local states now permit migrant NGOs to deliver community services to workers in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Engaging a new conceptual framework, Jennifer Hsu reveals how NGOs are interacting with the layers and spaces of the state and navigating a complex web of government bodies, lending stability to, and forming mutually beneficial relationships with, the state. Interacting with the layers and spaces of the Chinese state, NGOs conduct and scale up their programs, while the state engages with NGOs as a means to remain relevant and further legitimize its own interests.

The Chinese Corporatist State

The Chinese Corporatist State
Author: Jennifer Hsu
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 170
Release: 2013
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0415640725

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This book looks at how NGOs, social organizations, business associations, trade unions, and religious associations interact with the state, and explore how social actors have negotiated the influence of the state at both national and local levels, and examines how a corporatist understanding of state-society relations can be reformulated, as old and new social stakeholders play a greater role in managing contemporary social issues. In turn, the book goes on to chart the differences in how the state behaves locally and centrally, and finally discusses the future direction of the corporatist state.

Evolutionary Governance in China

Evolutionary Governance in China
Author:
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 417
Release: 2022-03-07
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1684176476

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The People’s Republic of China has experienced numerous challenges and undergone tremendous structural changes over the past four decades. The party-state now faces a fundamental tension in its pursuit of social stability and regime durability. Repressive state strategies enable the Chinese Communist Party to maintain its monopoly on political power, yet the quality of governance and regime legitimacy are enhanced when the state adopts more inclusive modes of engagement with society. Based on a dynamic typology of state–society relations, this volume adopts an evolutionary framework to examine how the Chinese state relates with non-state actors across several fields of governance. Drawing on original fieldwork, the authors identify areas in which state–society interactions have shifted over time, ranging from more constructive engagement to protracted conflict. This evolutionary approach provides nuanced insight into the circumstances wherein the party-state exerts its coercive power versus engaging in more flexible responses or policy adaptations.