Wen-Hsuan Tsai
Biographic Data
| ID | 3675154 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Wen-Hsuan Tsai |
| GIVEN NAMES | Wen-Hsuan |
| FAMILY NAME | Tsai |
| SIGNATURE | TSAI W |
| AFFILIATIONS | Academia Sinica |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 48 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2012 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Dual Authoritative Mediation: Policing and Community Governance in Urban China
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is employing mechanisms inspired by the ‘Fengqiao experience’ to mediate grassroots conflicts. Our findings show that in urban areas, community support officers from the People’s Police have played a critical role in this task. They liaise with residents’ committees and other relevant units to conduct ‘dual authoritative mediation’. This practice reflects the roles of the police as holders of state authority and …
Social Credit: The Warring States of China’s Emerging Data Empire
The Norm Saboteur: Two Scenarios for Power Transfer in the Post-Xi Jinping Era
Now that Xi Jinping has ended the fixed term system for China's top leader and undermined the norms governing the cultivation of a successor, scholars have begun speculating on how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will organize the transfer of power in the post-Xi era. For this, I propose a "struggle-development" model for the period of Xi's tenure and characterize him as a "norm saboteur." I also discuss two possible scenarios for political suc…
Post-Materialist Development in Rural China: “Beautiful Countryside” Construction and the Case of Zhejiang
After 40 years of reform and opening-up, it appears that some new development concepts are emerging in China. We argue that while the Chinese government continues to pursue economic development, it is also engaging in some post-materialist practices in the areas of environmental protection, cultural development, and political participation. The Chinese authorities are exploring the establishment of Zhejiang Province as a model for rural developme…
Social brokers in grassroots governance: The new rural gentry in China
One important and interesting aspect of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) efforts to revitalize the Chinese countryside in recent years has been the attempt to make use of prominent local people - known as xinxiangxian (新乡贤, meaning 'new rural meritorious people'). As social brokers, xinxiangxian differ from other agents. The attributes of this new class have yet to be regularized through central government statute, which means that the CCP's p…
The Recruitment Process for Grassroots Cadres in a Chinese County: The CCP Organization Department and Its Alarm Function
Through field research conducted within the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) County S Organization Department, this article finds that, under the CCP’s 2012 Eighteenth Party Congress policies of strengthening local governance and “whoever recommends a cadre is responsible for their performance,” the powers of the county organization departments have been enhanced. The main task of an organization department is the selection of cadres for posting…
The Role of China’s County-level Research Offices in Policy Adaptation
The policy implementation strategies of county cadres: Political instrument and flexible local governance
Using the concept of 'hedging', we explore how local cadres in China deviate from central policies in order to serve local interests and, while doing so, avoid being called to account by their superiors. Political signals enable cadres to decide when to invest more resources into the implementation of certain policies. In this way, they optimize their performance and avoid the political risks involved in failing to carry out their designated task…
A Mechanism of Coded Communication: Xinwen Lianbo and CCP Politics
Studies of the official media of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have long focused on interpretations of political propaganda. In this article, we propose another model—the “secret code communication” model. We find that the main audience for some of the official media consists not of members of the public but rather cadres. The China Central Television (CCTV) program Xinwen Lianbo is a typical example. The program operates according to a very …
Mobilizing cadre incentives in policy implementation: Poverty alleviation in a Chinese county
This article discusses the ways in which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) mobilizes local governments to implement policies set by higher-level governments. Using the concept of 'institutionalized mobilization', we discuss poverty alleviation in H county. We identify three key mechanisms: the cross-system leading group, cross-level personnel/financial management, and pairing-up. These mechanisms involve both the adjustment of tiao tiao (条条) and …
Social Constructionism and the Significance of Political Rumors in Contemporary China
Rumors are a set of collective discussions used by cadres or the masses to attain specific goals. Both political elites and the general public reveal their dissatisfaction or concern with the Chinese Communist Party regime through the dissemination of politically charged rumors, fueled by the party-state system’s habit of withholding information and amplified by traditional Chinese superstition
The ccp’s Learning System: Thought Unification and Regime Adaptation
A Model of Adaptive Mobilization: Implications of the CCP’s Diaoyan Politics
Diaoyan (investigation and research) occupies a special place in the politics of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The concept can be broken down into two distinct types: symbolic diaoyan, and standard diaoyan. The former refers to the phenomenon of top leaders promoting and initiating the coordinated implementation of a particular political line. Leaders first promote their ideas through symbolic trips and speeches, and observe the extent of su…
Concentrating Power to Accomplish Big Things: The CCP’s Pishi System and Operation in Contemporary China
This article discusses the operations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) pishi system from the perspective of decision making. As an authoritarian regime, the CCP ‘concentrates power to accomplish big things’, demonstrating the extent of the CCP’s state capacity. This article argues that, through a wide range of documentation, the CCP provides leaders with a channel for resource accumulation, to issue pishi (written directives). Next, mishu (se…
A Unique Pattern of Policymaking in China’s Authoritarian Regime
This article aims to deepen academic discussion of the Chinese Communist Party’s official media by presenting the neican/pishi (internal reference/written directive) model. The model represents an amalgamated system of internal watchdog journalism and political decision-making practices, reflecting the unique pattern of the CCP’s “documentary politics.”
Secret Codes of Political Propaganda: The Unknown System of Writing Teams
Within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), some Party units have established a largely unknown network of writing teams which propagate the policies or perspectives of a particular unit by publishing feature articles in Party journals. These writing teams often make use of a pseudonym in the form of a person's name, leading outsiders to believe that the work is written by a journalist. In fact, the pseudonyms of the Party unit writing teams functi…
Public Nomination and Direct Election in China
This research takes the case of Public Nomination and Direct Election, currently being rolled out in the People's Republic of China, to explain the function of elections in China. We believe that the goal of implementing this election system is to increase the governing ability of the Chinese Communist Party, thus sustaining the survival of the party-state system
Mobilizing cadre incentives in policy implementation: Poverty alleviation in a Chinese county
This article discusses the ways in which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) mobilizes local governments to implement policies set by higher-level governments. Using the concept of 'institutionalized mobilization', we discuss poverty alleviation in H county. We identify three key mechanisms: the cross-system leading group, cross-level personnel/financial management, and pairing-up. These mechanisms involve both the adjustment of tiao tiao (条条) and …
Concentrating Power to Accomplish Big Things: The CCP’s Pishi System and Operation in Contemporary China
This article discusses the operations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) pishi system from the perspective of decision making. As an authoritarian regime, the CCP ‘concentrates power to accomplish big things’, demonstrating the extent of the CCP’s state capacity. This article argues that, through a wide range of documentation, the CCP provides leaders with a channel for resource accumulation, to issue pishi (written directives). Next, mishu (se…
The policy implementation strategies of county cadres: Political instrument and flexible local governance
Using the concept of 'hedging', we explore how local cadres in China deviate from central policies in order to serve local interests and, while doing so, avoid being called to account by their superiors. Political signals enable cadres to decide when to invest more resources into the implementation of certain policies. In this way, they optimize their performance and avoid the political risks involved in failing to carry out their designated task…
A Model of Adaptive Mobilization: Implications of the CCP’s Diaoyan Politics
Diaoyan (investigation and research) occupies a special place in the politics of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The concept can be broken down into two distinct types: symbolic diaoyan, and standard diaoyan. The former refers to the phenomenon of top leaders promoting and initiating the coordinated implementation of a particular political line. Leaders first promote their ideas through symbolic trips and speeches, and observe the extent of su…
A Unique Pattern of Policymaking in China’s Authoritarian Regime
This article aims to deepen academic discussion of the Chinese Communist Party’s official media by presenting the neican/pishi (internal reference/written directive) model. The model represents an amalgamated system of internal watchdog journalism and political decision-making practices, reflecting the unique pattern of the CCP’s “documentary politics.”
The Recruitment Process for Grassroots Cadres in a Chinese County: The CCP Organization Department and Its Alarm Function
Through field research conducted within the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) County S Organization Department, this article finds that, under the CCP’s 2012 Eighteenth Party Congress policies of strengthening local governance and “whoever recommends a cadre is responsible for their performance,” the powers of the county organization departments have been enhanced. The main task of an organization department is the selection of cadres for posting…
Social brokers in grassroots governance: The new rural gentry in China
One important and interesting aspect of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) efforts to revitalize the Chinese countryside in recent years has been the attempt to make use of prominent local people - known as xinxiangxian (新乡贤, meaning 'new rural meritorious people'). As social brokers, xinxiangxian differ from other agents. The attributes of this new class have yet to be regularized through central government statute, which means that the CCP's p…
The Role of China’s County-level Research Offices in Policy Adaptation
A Mechanism of Coded Communication: Xinwen Lianbo and CCP Politics
Studies of the official media of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have long focused on interpretations of political propaganda. In this article, we propose another model—the “secret code communication” model. We find that the main audience for some of the official media consists not of members of the public but rather cadres. The China Central Television (CCTV) program Xinwen Lianbo is a typical example. The program operates according to a very …
Public Nomination and Direct Election in China
This research takes the case of Public Nomination and Direct Election, currently being rolled out in the People's Republic of China, to explain the function of elections in China. We believe that the goal of implementing this election system is to increase the governing ability of the Chinese Communist Party, thus sustaining the survival of the party-state system
Public Nomination and Direct Election in China
This research takes the case of Public Nomination and Direct Election, currently being rolled out in the People's Republic of China, to explain the function of elections in China. We believe that the goal of implementing this election system is to increase the governing ability of the Chinese Communist Party, thus sustaining the survival of the party-state system
Secret Codes of Political Propaganda: The Unknown System of Writing Teams
Within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), some Party units have established a largely unknown network of writing teams which propagate the policies or perspectives of a particular unit by publishing feature articles in Party journals. These writing teams often make use of a pseudonym in the form of a person's name, leading outsiders to believe that the work is written by a journalist. In fact, the pseudonyms of the Party unit writing teams functi…
A Unique Pattern of Policymaking in China’s Authoritarian Regime
This article aims to deepen academic discussion of the Chinese Communist Party’s official media by presenting the neican/pishi (internal reference/written directive) model. The model represents an amalgamated system of internal watchdog journalism and political decision-making practices, reflecting the unique pattern of the CCP’s “documentary politics.”
Concentrating Power to Accomplish Big Things: The CCP’s Pishi System and Operation in Contemporary China
This article discusses the operations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) pishi system from the perspective of decision making. As an authoritarian regime, the CCP ‘concentrates power to accomplish big things’, demonstrating the extent of the CCP’s state capacity. This article argues that, through a wide range of documentation, the CCP provides leaders with a channel for resource accumulation, to issue pishi (written directives). Next, mishu (se…
The ccp’s Learning System: Thought Unification and Regime Adaptation
A Model of Adaptive Mobilization: Implications of the CCP’s Diaoyan Politics
Diaoyan (investigation and research) occupies a special place in the politics of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The concept can be broken down into two distinct types: symbolic diaoyan, and standard diaoyan. The former refers to the phenomenon of top leaders promoting and initiating the coordinated implementation of a particular political line. Leaders first promote their ideas through symbolic trips and speeches, and observe the extent of su…
Social Constructionism and the Significance of Political Rumors in Contemporary China
Rumors are a set of collective discussions used by cadres or the masses to attain specific goals. Both political elites and the general public reveal their dissatisfaction or concern with the Chinese Communist Party regime through the dissemination of politically charged rumors, fueled by the party-state system’s habit of withholding information and amplified by traditional Chinese superstition
Mobilizing cadre incentives in policy implementation: Poverty alleviation in a Chinese county
This article discusses the ways in which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) mobilizes local governments to implement policies set by higher-level governments. Using the concept of 'institutionalized mobilization', we discuss poverty alleviation in H county. We identify three key mechanisms: the cross-system leading group, cross-level personnel/financial management, and pairing-up. These mechanisms involve both the adjustment of tiao tiao (条条) and …
A Mechanism of Coded Communication: Xinwen Lianbo and CCP Politics
Studies of the official media of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have long focused on interpretations of political propaganda. In this article, we propose another model—the “secret code communication” model. We find that the main audience for some of the official media consists not of members of the public but rather cadres. The China Central Television (CCTV) program Xinwen Lianbo is a typical example. The program operates according to a very …
The Role of China’s County-level Research Offices in Policy Adaptation
The policy implementation strategies of county cadres: Political instrument and flexible local governance
Using the concept of 'hedging', we explore how local cadres in China deviate from central policies in order to serve local interests and, while doing so, avoid being called to account by their superiors. Political signals enable cadres to decide when to invest more resources into the implementation of certain policies. In this way, they optimize their performance and avoid the political risks involved in failing to carry out their designated task…
The Recruitment Process for Grassroots Cadres in a Chinese County: The CCP Organization Department and Its Alarm Function
Through field research conducted within the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) County S Organization Department, this article finds that, under the CCP’s 2012 Eighteenth Party Congress policies of strengthening local governance and “whoever recommends a cadre is responsible for their performance,” the powers of the county organization departments have been enhanced. The main task of an organization department is the selection of cadres for posting…
Post-Materialist Development in Rural China: “Beautiful Countryside” Construction and the Case of Zhejiang
After 40 years of reform and opening-up, it appears that some new development concepts are emerging in China. We argue that while the Chinese government continues to pursue economic development, it is also engaging in some post-materialist practices in the areas of environmental protection, cultural development, and political participation. The Chinese authorities are exploring the establishment of Zhejiang Province as a model for rural developme…
Social brokers in grassroots governance: The new rural gentry in China
One important and interesting aspect of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) efforts to revitalize the Chinese countryside in recent years has been the attempt to make use of prominent local people - known as xinxiangxian (新乡贤, meaning 'new rural meritorious people'). As social brokers, xinxiangxian differ from other agents. The attributes of this new class have yet to be regularized through central government statute, which means that the CCP's p…
Social Credit: The Warring States of China’s Emerging Data Empire
The Norm Saboteur: Two Scenarios for Power Transfer in the Post-Xi Jinping Era
Now that Xi Jinping has ended the fixed term system for China's top leader and undermined the norms governing the cultivation of a successor, scholars have begun speculating on how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will organize the transfer of power in the post-Xi era. For this, I propose a "struggle-development" model for the period of Xi's tenure and characterize him as a "norm saboteur." I also discuss two possible scenarios for political suc…
Dual Authoritative Mediation: Policing and Community Governance in Urban China
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is employing mechanisms inspired by the ‘Fengqiao experience’ to mediate grassroots conflicts. Our findings show that in urban areas, community support officers from the People’s Police have played a critical role in this task. They liaise with residents’ committees and other relevant units to conduct ‘dual authoritative mediation’. This practice reflects the roles of the police as holders of state authority and …
China (14 works) · China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance (14 works) · Political science (14 works) · Politics (12 works) · Communism (10 works) · Law (10 works) · Law (9 works) · Public Administration (8 works) · Public Administration (7 works) · Sociology (7 works)