E-Governance in an Authoritarian Regime: Who Talks Online to Officials in China?
This study investigates the political implications of digital government for governance in an entrenched authoritarian regime. On the one hand, E-governance may promote transparency, empower citizens, and through which reduce authoritarianism. It may on the other hand co-opt the potential opposition and allow authoritarian regimes to endure. Alternatively, E-governance initiatives may merely extend offline governance practices to cyberspace with no added value. Using surveys of internet use among the educated Chinese youth, I find that E-governance tactics in China have primarily attracted those politically affiliated with the current regime and not been able to co-opt the politically detached. Those believing that the Internet promotes political transparency refer to alternative mechanisms other than talking online to officials. Politically efficacious people and long-time Internet surfers are not necessarily government web goers. The current E-governance practices in China have not yet entailed any substantive impacts on the relationship between the state and society.
Shiru Wang
Department of Public and Social Administration City University of Hong Kong
国际会议
上海
英文
1-34
2012-05-25（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）