Toward Multi-Level Governance in China? Coping with complex public affairs across jurisdictions and organizations

Bibliographic Data

ID6113871
AuthorsEdoardo Ongaro (0000-0003-4431-1508, Open University, UK, corresponding author), Ting Gong (0000-0001-9927-886X, City University of Hong Kong and Fudan University, China), Yijia Jing (0000-0003-4772-5482, Fudan University)
Year2019
Volume34
Issue2
Pages105-120
Publication date2019-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Policy and Administration (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0952-0767 • E-ISSN: 1749-4192
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0952076718799397
OpenAlexW2893228273
LanguageEN
Citations received21
References cited35

This special issue argues for the applicability of the conceptual framework of Multi-Level Governance to the political–administrative regime of China, provided significant adaptations and qualifications are developed. The application of Multi-Level Governance to China enables to account for global influences as well as for the involvement of non-governmental actors in public policy making. More radically, we suggest in this introductory article that the development of Multi-Level Governance may be interpreted as a way of enhancing the societal legitimacy of the political regime under the conditions of new authoritarianism. We conclude this article by drawing a fascinating yet possibly hazardous and overstretched parallel; that is, the development of Multi-Level Governance may be part and parcel of a process of building political legitimacy in China, just as it may be a way of exploring paths for the renewal of beleaguered traditional liberal democracy in Europe. Albeit along profoundly different trajectories, China and Europe might adopt Multi-Level Governance arrangements for a very purposive course of action: enhancing the legitimacy of the respective and very diverse political systems and buttressing their very foundations. This suggests a strongly normative and purposive application of Multi-Level Governance

Accountability · Authoritarianism · China · Corporate governance · Democracy · Economic system · Economics · Legitimacy · Management · Multi-level governance · Normative · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance · Hong Kong and Taiwan Politics · Law · Ombudsman and Human Rights · Public Administration