Public Participation in China's State-Created ICT Spaces: Explaining Participation Patterns

• 成果类型: Article; Early Access
• 署名作者: Rabe, Wiebke; Bondes, Maria; Abels, Christoph M.; Kostka, Genia
• 署名单位: University of Bremen; University of Erlangen Nuremberg; University of Potsdam; Free University of Berlin
• 刊物名称: REGULATION & GOVERNANCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1748-5983
• DOI: 10.1111/rego.70090
• 发表日期: 2025
• 关键词: political-participation; information disclosure; CONCEPTUAL-FRAMEWORK; social-management; Privacy paradox; digital divide; smart cities; governance; GOVERNMENT; opinion

摘要

It has become commonplace for non-democratic regimes to integrate information and communication technologies (ICTs) into their governance system. However, how citizens make use of these new digital opportunities in an authoritarian setting remains understudied. Based on an online survey in China in 2021, we find that a surprisingly large share of Chinese citizens engages with the new ICT-based participatory venues. But ICTs seem to unfold their potential only for certain groups such as tech-savvy younger citizens with a higher income. Moreover, while citizens seem to be quite aware of the risks of using ICTs, such as data security breaches or digital surveillance, these do not seem to hamper participation. Rather, citizens trade off perceived risks for perceived benefits, such as higher levels of convenience, efficiency, or expected government responsiveness. Our study contributes to the literature on digital governance in authoritarian regimes, and the digital divide and technology acceptance literatures. Moreover, amid the tightening of political control in China, it offers insights into participatory developments under Xi Jinping.