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Article: Punctuated Equilibrium and the Information Disadvantage of Authoritarianism: Evidence from the People's Republic of China
Title | Punctuated Equilibrium and the Information Disadvantage of Authoritarianism: Evidence from the People's Republic of China |
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Authors | |
Keywords | Authoritarianism China Punctuated equilibrium |
Issue Date | 2016 |
Publisher | Blackwell Publishing, Inc. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journals/PSJ |
Citation | Policy Studies Journal, 2016, v. 44 n. 2, p. 134-155 How to Cite? |
Abstract | According to the punctuated equilibrium thesis, government attention allocation alternates between long periods of stasis and dramatic spurts of disequilibrium because democratic institutions enable minority groups to obstruct change. This article presents a critical discrepancy in contemporary China, where punctuated instability is significantly more intense despite a lack of democratic institutions to empower minority obstructionism. Our empirical analysis further reveals that punctuated intensity goes even higher for Chinese regions facing fewer signs of social discontent. We attribute the intensification of punctuated dynamics to an information disadvantage arising from the lack of diverse, independent sources of information under authoritarianism. Our finding contributes to punctuated equilibrium theory by underlining the function of opposition groups not only as obstructionists but also as challengers to policy priorities. By marginalizing these challengers, authoritarian institutions confine attention to known problems, leading to serious delays in the discovery of and adjustment to emerging issues. |
Persistent Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/224961 |
ISSN | 2023 Impact Factor: 4.1 2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 1.878 |
ISI Accession Number ID |
DC Field | Value | Language |
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dc.contributor.author | Chan, KN | - |
dc.contributor.author | Zhao, S | - |
dc.date.accessioned | 2016-04-18T03:34:46Z | - |
dc.date.available | 2016-04-18T03:34:46Z | - |
dc.date.issued | 2016 | - |
dc.identifier.citation | Policy Studies Journal, 2016, v. 44 n. 2, p. 134-155 | - |
dc.identifier.issn | 0190-292X | - |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/224961 | - |
dc.description.abstract | According to the punctuated equilibrium thesis, government attention allocation alternates between long periods of stasis and dramatic spurts of disequilibrium because democratic institutions enable minority groups to obstruct change. This article presents a critical discrepancy in contemporary China, where punctuated instability is significantly more intense despite a lack of democratic institutions to empower minority obstructionism. Our empirical analysis further reveals that punctuated intensity goes even higher for Chinese regions facing fewer signs of social discontent. We attribute the intensification of punctuated dynamics to an information disadvantage arising from the lack of diverse, independent sources of information under authoritarianism. Our finding contributes to punctuated equilibrium theory by underlining the function of opposition groups not only as obstructionists but also as challengers to policy priorities. By marginalizing these challengers, authoritarian institutions confine attention to known problems, leading to serious delays in the discovery of and adjustment to emerging issues. | - |
dc.language | eng | - |
dc.publisher | Blackwell Publishing, Inc. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journals/PSJ | - |
dc.relation.ispartof | Policy Studies Journal | - |
dc.rights | The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com | - |
dc.subject | Authoritarianism | - |
dc.subject | China | - |
dc.subject | Punctuated equilibrium | - |
dc.title | Punctuated Equilibrium and the Information Disadvantage of Authoritarianism: Evidence from the People's Republic of China | - |
dc.type | Article | - |
dc.identifier.email | Chan, KN: kwachan@hku.hk | - |
dc.identifier.authority | Chan, KN=rp02084 | - |
dc.description.nature | postprint | - |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1111/psj.12138 | - |
dc.identifier.scopus | eid_2-s2.0-84949294613 | - |
dc.identifier.hkuros | 257520 | - |
dc.identifier.volume | 44 | - |
dc.identifier.issue | 2 | - |
dc.identifier.spage | 134 | - |
dc.identifier.epage | 155 | - |
dc.identifier.isi | WOS:000375136100001 | - |
dc.publisher.place | United States | - |
dc.identifier.issnl | 0190-292X | - |