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Development and Prospects of Deliberative Democracy in China: The Dimensions of Deliberative Capacity Building

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Abstract

Since the landmark volume The Search for Deliberative Democracy in China (Leib and He eds. 2006), a growing number of theoretical and empirical studies in the context of China have advanced our knowledge of deliberative democracy in comparative settings. This paper aims to discuss the recent development and prospects of deliberative democracy in China, with particular focus on the approach of a deliberative system that has not been adequately addressed in the context of China. This paper proposes an analytical framework for the concept of deliberative capacity building in the context of contemporary China. The paper analyses three dimensions of deliberative capacity building: social capacity, institutional capacity; and participatory capacity of a deliberative system. The three dimensions lay particular emphasis on the public sphere, empowered space, and deliberative actors respectively. The multi-dimensional framework considers deliberative capacity building as a process by which the three dimensions synergize and evolve with each other to produce a functional deliberative system incorporating isolated deliberative practices. The multi-dimensional analyses suggest that deliberative capacity building is critical to democratization in China, as it produces a stronger public sphere, more effective government responsiveness and improved participatory competence.

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Notes

  1. Deliberative democracy has advanced in western democratic states, with a growing number of structured forums: [2–5]. There has also been an increase in informal citizen deliberations in the public sphere at different stages of policy formation: [6–10].

  2. Leib and He eds. [1], The Search for Deliberative Democracy in China.

  3. For detailed discussion on regime legitimacy in China, see the special issue in Journal of Chinese Political Science, 16.

  4. For example, see Thompson [22], Chambers [23], Dryzek [24], Bohman [25], Cohen [26], and Habermas [27, 28].

  5. He and Warren, “Authoritarian Deliberation,” 274.

  6. He and Warren, “Authoritarian Deliberation,” 276; [30].

  7. Xinhua News Agency, “Political Advisor Credits Chinese-style Deliberative Democracy”; “Commentary: Maturing Mode of ‘Deliberative democracy’.”

  8. Ergenc, “Political Efficacy through Deliberative Participation in Urban China.”

  9. Ibid., provide detailed explanations of the methodologies used.

  10. He and Warren, “Authoritarian Deliberation.”; He and Thøgersen “Giving the People a Voice?”

  11. He and Thøgersen “Giving the People a Voice?”

  12. Dryzek, Foundations and Frontiers of Deliberative Governance, 136–138; “Democratization as Deliberative Capacity Building.”

  13. Dryzek, “Democratization as Deliberative Capacity Building,” 1381–1382.

  14. Hendriks, “Integrated Deliberation.”

  15. Chambers “Deliberative Democratic Theory,” 309; Bohman, “Survey Article: The Coming Age of Deliberative Democracy,” 400.

  16. Dryzek, Foundations and Frontiers of Deliberative Governance, 136.

  17. Ibid., 142.

  18. See, for example, Parkinson and Mansbridge, eds., Deliberative Systems.

  19. Ye, “Deliberative Democracy.”

  20. Li Junru is former vice president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, and is now a standing member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country’s top political advisory body.

  21. Xinhua News Agency, “Political Advisor Credits Chinese-style Deliberative Democracy.”

  22. Rosenberg, Deliberation, Participation and Democracy, 131.

  23. According to the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC), by 2011 China had recorded over 500 million internet users, and nearly 49 % of the Internet users are microblog (weibo) users: CNNIC, Statistical Report on Internet Development in China, China Internet Network Information Centre, (January 2013).

  24. See http://wen.oeeee.com/a/20120313/1043478.html for the transcripts of the press conference.

  25. Mansbridge, “Everyday Talk in the Deliberative System,” 211.

  26. See Zhang [61].

  27. The transcripts of the discussion forum is available at http://www.eeo.com.cn/zt/2011/wukan/

  28. Discussant Jiang, Xiaoxing. His full speech Civil Organizations are not Enemies is available at http://www.eeo.com.cn/2011/1226/218779.shtml

  29. Discussant Wang, Changjiang. His full speech Grant More Autonomy of Innovation to Governments is available at http://www.eeo.com.cn/2011/1226/218776.shtml

  30. See http://bbs.tianya.cn/post-news-232242-1.shtml for full discussions.

  31. See Jin [62].

  32. Korolev, “Deliberative Democracy Nationwide?”

  33. Han, “Policy Deliberation as a Goal.”

  34. He, “From Village Election to Village Deliberation in Rural China.”

  35. Ibid., 51.

  36. See Xinhua News Agency [68].

  37. Cohen, “Deliberation and Democratic Legitimacy,” 220.

  38. See Fan [72].

  39. Dryzek, “Democratization as Deliberative Capacity Building.”

  40. Dryzek, “Democratization as Deliberative Capacity Building,” 1391–1392.

  41. See Li [77].

  42. See Jiang [78].

  43. Full transcript of the online discussion form 3 Years after the Case of Sun: How should government manage migrant workers? is available at http://www.ce.cn/xwzx/gnsz/gdxw/200609/15/t20060915_8576345.shtml

  44. He and Warren, “Authoritarian Deliberation,” 269.

  45. Mansbridge, et al., “A Systemic Approach to Deliberative Democracy.”; Thompson, “Deliberative Democratic Theory and Empirical Political Science.”

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Prof John Dryzek for his comments on the previous version of the paper.

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  1. Department of Political & Social Change, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra ACT, 0200, Australia

    Beibei Tang

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Tang, B. Development and Prospects of Deliberative Democracy in China: The Dimensions of Deliberative Capacity Building. J OF CHIN POLIT SCI 19, 115–132 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11366-014-9285-3

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