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From Bulletin Boards to Big Data: The Origins and Evolution of Public Complaint Websites in China
[journal article]
Abstract Why do Chinese governments at various levels set up public complaint websites where citizen petitions and government responses can be reviewed by the general public? We argue that it is the result of two factors: strong signals sent by the central government to improve governance, and the availabili... view more
Why do Chinese governments at various levels set up public complaint websites where citizen petitions and government responses can be reviewed by the general public? We argue that it is the result of two factors: strong signals sent by the central government to improve governance, and the availability of new technologies to promote policy innovation. To impress their superiors, local officials adopted newly available commercial technology to innovate existing citizen feedback systems, which presented a developmental trajectory from "openness," "integration," to "big data-driven prediction." Drawing on policy documents and interviews with local politicians and administrators, we provide a chronological perspective of how technical development, central government's signals and local decision-making have interacted in the past two decades to bring forth today’s public complaint websites. The contingent and non-teleological nature of this development can also be applied to other policies such as the social credit system.... view less
Classification
Media Politics, Information Politics, Media Law
Interactive, electronic Media
Free Keywords
China; government complaint websites; government-citizen interaction; e-participation; governance innovation; information technology; responsiveness; internet; mayor's mailboxes; public feedback
Document language
English
Publication Year
2021
Page/Pages
p. 39-62
Journal
Journal of Current Chinese Affairs, 50 (2021) 1
ISSN
1868-4874
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed