Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Clientelism and Political Participation: Case Study of the Chinese tongxianghui in Macao SAR Elections

  • RESEARCH ARTICLE
  • Published:
Journal of Chinese Political Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper investigates the close connections between Chinese tongxianghui (Chinese native-place association) and electoral politics in Macao SAR Legislative Assembly’s direct elections. The findings show that the Chinese tongxianghui in Macao SAR adopt clientelist politics based on cultural affinities during the electoral politics in gaining their client-voter supports for the direct elections in 2009 and 2013. The nature of clientelist relationships, such as interest maximizing exchange, reciprocity and iteration, building up long term and stable relationships, are different from the electoral campaigns in Western liberal democracies which are usually center on ideological lines and occasional exchanges which are arguably too random and too anonymous. In essence, this study argues that Chinese tongxianghui in Macao SAR, notably the Fujian Jinjiang tongxianghui and Guangdong Jiangmen tongxianghui, constitute powerful electoral engineering with affiliated interest groups and they have built up stable and long term clientelist relations with their clients, instead of waging electoral battles on ideological lines. Thus, this study contends that Macao’s direct elections represent a unique case study about participation of Chinese tongxianghui in electoral politics which can be characterized as a form of local-level, cumulative and low political-risk clientelism which could be more effective than ideological politics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Aberbach, J.D., R.D. Putnam, and B.A. Rockman. 1981. Bureaucrats and politicians in Western democracies. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  2. API (Alianca de Povo de Instituicao de Macao). 2009. API Magazine. May 2009, Vol.2. (in Chinese).

  3. Bell, J. 2010. Doing your research project. Berkshire: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Berlie, J. 2012. The Chinese of Macao – A decade after the handover. Hong Kong: Proverse Hong Kong.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bjarnegard, E. 2013. Who’s the perfect politican? Clientelism as a determining feature of Thai Politics. In Party politics in Southeast Asia – Clientelism and electoral competition in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, eds. D. Tomsa, and A. Ufen, 142–162. London and New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Castells, M. 2010. The rise of the network society - The information age: Economy, Society and Culture, vol Volume 1. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Chan Meng Kam Supporting Club (CMKSC). 2014. Application form of Chan Meng Kam Supporting Club. Collected at United Citizens Association of Macao headquarters at Iao Han on March 29/3/2014.

  8. Chou, B. 2004. Public sector reform in Macau after the handover. China Perspectives 52: 56–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Chou, B. 2005. Interest Group Politics in Macau after Handover. Journal of Contemporary China 14(43): 191–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Chou, B. 2015. Politics and social organizations in Macao: A historical institutionalist analysis. China: An international journal 13(1): 22–42.

    Google Scholar 

  11. DeBernardi, J. 2011. Cantonese society in Hong Kong and Singapore – Gender, religion, medicine and money. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Edmonds, R.L., and H. Yee. 1999. Macau: From Portuguese autonomous territory to Chinese Special Administrative Region. The China Quarterly 160: 801–817.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Feng, X.C. 2015. Loving country starts from loving your origin: Tongxianghui and the development of Chinese politics in the early half of twentieth century. Seminar organized by The Historical Anthropology of Chinese Society; CUHK-SYSU Centre for Historical Anthropology, The CUHK; South China Research Center, The HKUST, October 15, 2015.

  14. Gerxhani, K., and A. Schram. 2009. Clientelism and polarized voting: Empirical evidence. Public Choice 141: 301–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Guo, Jianqing. 2013. Quoted in ‘Traditional village elites succeed while democratic camps defeated in the Macao election’. Yazhou Zhoukan Magazine (September 29, 2013): 26–27. (in Chinese).

  16. Hicken, A. 2011. Clientelism. Annual Review of Political Science 14: 289–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Hilgers, T. 2011. Clientelism and conceptual stretching differentiating among concepts and among analytical levels. Theory & Society 40(5): 567–588.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Hou Kong Daily Newspaper. 2010. Chan Meng Kam & Ung Choi Kun visiting Hui Kwong in hoping that society care more about mentally retarded people. February 12, 2010.

  19. Hou Kong Daily Newspaper. 2013. Jinjiang student exchange tour visiting Macao for friendship. October 8, 2013.

  20. Inglehart, R., and H.-D. Klingemann. 1976. Party identification and beyond: representations of voting and party competition. London: John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Jornal ‘Va Kio’. 2010. Chan Meng Kam and Ung Choi Kun visited Centro A Madrugada, hope people concern of the persons with intellectual disabilities. February 10, 2010.

  22. Jornal ‘Va Kio’. 2012. Chan Meng Kam and Facebook net friends visiting blind people. April 28, 2012.

  23. Jornal ‘Va Kio’. 2012. Chan Meng Kam queried on monitoring public utilities. July 12, 2012.

  24. Jornal ‘Va Kio’. 2012. Chan Meng Kam queried the effectiveness of public consultation. February 27, 2012.

  25. Jornal ‘Va Kio’. 2012. Chan Meng Kam raised questions over administrative reform. January 29, 2012.

  26. Jornal ‘Va Kio’. 2012. Chan Meng Kam Supporting Club formed. May 28, 2012.

  27. Jornal ‘Va Kio’. 2012. Ung Choi Kun made inquiries on medical caring personnel. April 16, 2012.

  28. Jornal ‘Va Kio’. 2012. Ung Choi Kun queried on the Food Price Team. August 3, 2012.

  29. Jornal ‘Va Kio’. 2012. Ung Choi Kun queried on the raising civil servants’ service spirits. August 6, 2012.

  30. Kitschelt, H. 2000. Linkages between citizens and politician in democratic politics. Comparative Political Studies 33(6–7): 845–879.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Kohn, H. 1944. The idea of nationalism - A study in its origins and background. New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Kramon, E. 2011. Why do politicians buy votes when the ballot is secret? Theory and experimental evidence from Kenya, Accessed November 21, 2015 @ http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/polisci/wgape/papers/21_Kramon.pdf.

  33. Kwong, B. 2013. Patron-Clientelism and Factional Politics in Macao: The 2009 Chief Executive Election. In China’s Macao Transformed: Challenge and Development in the 21st Century, eds. Eilo Yu, and Ming K. Chan, 55–71. Armonk: M.E. Sharpe; Hong Kong: City University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Kwong, B. 2013. A Comparative Analysis of the Cash Handout Policy of Hong Kong and Macau. Journal of Current Chinese Affairs 42(3): 87–100.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Lou, Shenghua. 2010. Integration and transition: The reform and analysis of characteristics of Macao electoral institutions. Jornal San Wa Ou (December 30, 2010):03. (in Chinese).

  36. Macao Daily News. 2010. Labour Bureau: Tight monitoring on Galaxy employment interviews. March 23, 2010.

  37. Macao Daily News. 2012. Chan Meng Kam and online friends visited the Rehabilitation Centre for the blind. April 28, 2012.

  38. Macao Daily News. 2012. Chan Meng Kam criticized over-estimation of housing policy, June 21, 2012.

  39. Macao Daily News. 2012. Chan Meng Kam donates mobile phones and computers. June 8, 2012.

  40. Macao Daily News. 2012. Chan Meng Kam urged for increasing the percentage of voters. July 4, 2012.

  41. Macao Daily News. 2012. Chan Meng Kam urges clarifying responsibility over Sin Fung Garden. October 24, 2012.

  42. Macao Daily News. 2012. Chan Meng Kam: Adjusting the application criteria of building maintenance schemes. June 28, 2012.

  43. Macao Daily News. 2012. Chan Meng Kam: Cross-district allocation of housing is lack of humanistic principle. September 4, 2012.

  44. Macao Daily News. 2012. Legislators concern about political reform. February 29, 2012.

  45. Macao Daily News. 2012. Little price difference among supermarkets. September 13, 2012.

  46. Macao Daily News. 2012. Making it clear on diversified industry contents. February 10, 2012.

  47. Macao Daily News. 2012. Ung Choi Kun concerns about the lag behind of bills. September 3, 2012.

  48. Macao Daily News. 2012. Ung Choi Kun wishes the industry be united and promote development. June 11, 2012.

  49. Macao Daily News. 2012. Ung Choi Kun: the lag behind of localization of law and civil servants. June 21, 2012.

  50. Macao Daily News. 2013. Legislative Assembly Election on 15/9. December 29, 2013.

  51. Macao Daily News. 2015. Vacant public housing, slight traffic fines, lack of coordination –demanding the government for explanation. April 16, 2015.

  52. Macao-Guangdong Union (MGU). 2009. Macao-Guangdong Union electoral platform – Taking you as the basic, Serving Macao single-wholeheartedly.

  53. Macao Jingjiang tongxianghui. 2016 Macao Jingjiang tongxianghui Scholarship. Accessed 21 November 2015 @ http://learnese.com/tw/scholarship/943-澳門晉江同鄉會奬學金.

  54. Macao Shetuan. 2014. Accessed 21 November 2015 @ http://www.shetuan.mo.cn/bbx/10627-10627.html.

  55. New Macao Association. 2014. Written enquiry on forbidding casino staff from gambling through amending law. 6 March 2014. Accessed 21 November 2015 @ https://www.newmacau.org/cms/.

  56. Park, C.H. 2008. A Comparative Institutional Analysis of Korean and Japanese Clientelism. Asian Journal of Political Science 16(2): 111–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  57. Pessanha, L. 2012. Gaming concessions in Macao. In Studies on Macao Gaming Law, ed. S. Mancuso, 47–125. Macao: University of Macao.

    Google Scholar 

  58. Personal interview. 2014. Interview with a retired industrialist who is also a member of Chan Meng Kam Supporting Club on March 26, 2014.

  59. Piattoni, S. 2001. Clientelism in historical and comparative perspective. In Clientelism, interests, and democratic representation: The European experience in historical and comparative perspective, ed. S. Piattoni, 1–30. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  60. Roskin, M.G. 1982. Countries and concepts - An introduction to comparative politics. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Fourth edition.

    Google Scholar 

  61. Siu, R.C.S. 2006. Evolution of Macao’s casino industry from monopoly to oligopoly: social and economic reconsideration. Journal of Economic Issues 1: 967–990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. Stake, R. 1995. The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc..

    Google Scholar 

  63. Stake, R. 2006. Multiple case study analysis. New York: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  64. Sze, Tse-ching and Hong Kong Jinjiang Tongxianghui Jinjiang Special Issue Editorial Committee (eds.). (1986). Jinjiang. Hong Kong: Jinjiang Tongxianghui.

  65. Vong, F. 2007. The psychology of risk-taking in gambling among Chinese visitors to Macao. International Gaming Studies 7(1): 29–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  66. Tan, C.B., C. Storey, and J. Zimmerman, eds. 2007. Chinese overseas: Migrants, research & documentation. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  67. Tomsa, D., and A. Ufen. 2013. Party politics in Southeast Asia – Clientelism and electoral competition in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  68. Trigo, M.M.E. 2012. Gaming and betting in the 1999 Macao Civil Code and enforceability of obligations (pp.1–22). In Studies on Macao Gaming Law, ed. S. Mancuso, 47–125. Macao: University of Macao.

    Google Scholar 

  69. Wang, G.W. 2007. Mixing Memory and Desire: Tracking the Migrant Cycles. In Chinese overseas: Migration, research & documentation, eds. C.B. Tan, C. Storey, and J. Zimmerman, 3–20. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  70. Warner, C.M. 1997. Political parties and the opportunity costs of patronage. Party Politics 3(4): 533–548.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  71. Yazhou Zhoukan Magazine 2013. Traditional village elites succeed while democratic camps defeated in the Macao election. September 29, 2013, 26–27.

  72. Yee, H. 2002. Mass political culture and political development in post-1999 Macau. China Perspectives No. 44, Macau Special (November – December 2002): 29–40.

  73. Yu, C., Lou, S.H., and Chen, C.W. 2011. A longitudinal study on Macao Chinese political culture. Hong Kong: Joint Publishing (H.K.) Co. Ltd.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, No. 10, Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, N.T., Hong Kong SAR

    Eric King-man Chong

Authors
  1. Eric King-man Chong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eric King-man Chong.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chong, E.Km. Clientelism and Political Participation: Case Study of the Chinese tongxianghui in Macao SAR Elections. J OF CHIN POLIT SCI 21, 371–392 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11366-016-9402-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11366-016-9402-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation