Assessing the balance of power in central-local relations in China

• Main Author: DONALDSON, John A.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2017
• Subjects: China; Central-local relations; Asian Studies; Political Science; Public Administration
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2030
• Institution: Singapore Management University

How do we understand the evolution of central-localrelations in China during the reform period? This book addresses this questionby focusing on eight separate issues in which the central-local relationshiphas been especially salient – government finance, investment control, regionaldevelopment, administrative zoning, implementation, culture, social welfare andinternational relations. Each chapter introduces a sector and the way thecenter and various local governments have shared or divided power over thedifferent periods of China’s reform era. The balance of power is gaugeddynamically over time to measure the extent to which one level of governmentdominates, influences or shares power in making decisions in each of theseparticular domains, as well as what is likely to occur in the foreseeablefuture. The authors assess the winners and losers of these changes among keyactors in China’s society. The result provides a dynamic view of China’schanging power relations.