Social policy learning and diffusion in China: the rise of welfare regions?

Shi, Shih‐Jiunn

doi:10.1332/147084411x581899

Cited by 32 publications

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“…Conventional understanding of the Chinese politicaladministrative system is one of authoritarian top-down governance. However, recent studies have modified this picture by pointing at interactions between different levels, alternatively termed fragmented authoritarianism (Lieberthal & Oksenberg 1988); adaptive governance (Heilmann & Perry 2011); policy learning, or experimentation under hierarchy (Shi 2012); the bifurcated governing strategy of deregulation and re-regulation according to sectors' strategic importance (Hsueh 2011); or project governance (Qu 2012). The Chinese tradition of experimentation locally and subsequent top-down directives might, in combination with the role played by local CPC members, provide a basis for a similar process as that applied in the Norwegian case.…”

Section: Implications Pertaining To Agricultural and Environmental Pomentioning

confidence: 99%

Explaining and understanding environmental actions in Chinese agriculture: the case of Yuqiao watershed of Tianjin municipality

Orderud¹,

Vogt

Andersen

et al. 2015

International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ec

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Most of China's surface waters are undergoing anthropogenic eutrophication, mainly due to leaching of phosphorus (P) from both sewage and agriculture. This is causing quality deterioration in their scarce water resources. The problem has been acknowledged by Chinese authorities and actions sought implemented, though expected ameliorations are on hold.This interdisciplinary study focuses on actions taken by farmers adjacent to Yuqiao reservoir; the raw water source for five million people in Tianjin City. As is often the case, these farmers apply excessive amounts of fertilisers. The leaching of P is aggravated by poor P sorption capacity of the soils and a practically impermeable clay layer below a shallow ploughing layer. During heavy rainfalls the soils become saturated, causing P to be flushed out through shallow-water flow paths. A low content of organic matter in the soils makes things worse.This study documents how farmers are taking action to improve crop yield, the environment, and health issues. Farmers taking more action than others consider themselves as having good farming competence, they are usually local members of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), and have a relatively low family income. The study concludes with suggested policy measures. The main recommendation is to collect household sewage and most of their manure and use it as feedstock for large-scale biogas reactors, combined with returning the residual organic matter to the soil. Cooperating with well-respected farmers and drawing on local CPC members' willingness to take action may facilitate a successful implementation of the above measures.

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Section: Implications Pertaining To Agricultural and Environmental Pomentioning

confidence: 99%

Explaining and understanding environmental actions in Chinese agriculture: the case of Yuqiao watershed of Tianjin municipality

Orderud¹,

Vogt

Andersen

et al. 2015

International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ec

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“…Thanks to one referee for reminding the author of this point. For detailed exploration of the issue see Shi (2012).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given wide regional disparities in the reform era, considerable autonomy has been granted to local governments in their responsibility for social policy, leading to further regional variety of social security design (cf. Heilmann, 2008Heilmann, , 2009Shi, 2012).…”

Section: The 'Variable Geometry' Of China's Social Policy Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards Inclusive Social Citizenship? Rethinking China's Social Security in the Trend towards Urban–Rural Harmonisation

Shi

2012

J. Soc. Pol.

Self Cite

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AbstractUrban–rural harmonisation has risen to prominence in recent social security reform in China. This article offers an account of the changing welfare institutions and social citizenship configurations unfolded by this particular policy approach. As social activism gained substantial weight as part of the regional developmental strategies of local governments, harmonisation efforts have led to a boundary shift of social citizenship largely defined by the within–without criterion rather than the urban–rural divide. In places where urban–rural harmonisation takes hold, the pivotal criterion for claiming social benefits is the possession of local resident status, regardless of whether this status is urban or rural. The heterogeneity of regional social security developments resulting from social decentralisation also calls attention to the ‘variable geometry’ of institutional change, i.e. various social policy domains manifest diverse degrees of institutional dynamics towards harmonisation. In this light, urban–rural harmonisation is likely to trigger competitive solidarity in terms of regional competition and emulation in economic development and social provision, leading to regional disparities that will shape the future contours of social policy and social citizenship in China.

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“…The previous literature has long focused on the behavior of the Chinese central government that recognizes policy innovations frequently and spreads them “from point to surface” with administrative signals (Heilmann, ; North, , pp. 80–81; Shi, ; Zhu, ). In the early stage, local governments facing social demands are motivated to test different policy innovations according to national goals and local preferences.…”

Section: Diffusion With Central Recognitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recognition of innovation and diffusion of welfare policy: Alleviating urban poverty in Chinese cities during fiscal recentralization

Zhu

Zhao

2018

Governance

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This article explores the complicated triangular architecture among innovation diffusion, fiscal recentralization, and authoritarian welfare regimes. We argue that local governments' adoption of innovative welfare policies attracts the attention of central authorities who tend to recognize spontaneous local innovation by releasing central administrative signals. During the era of fiscal recentralization starting from the Chinese Tax‐Sharing System Reform in 1994, cities with higher fiscal dependency are more likely to behave innovatively by adopting a new welfare policy for potential fiscal transfer rewards. The central government's recognition of this innovation stimulates cities' adoption but would reverse the effects of fiscal dependency because of the loss of the “innovativeness” of the adoption and its effectiveness in attracting the attention of superior authorities. We test our theories on the dynamic diffusion with the case of China's Urban Minimum Living Standard Assistance system, an urban poverty‐alleviation policy implemented fully in 1999.

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Social policy learning and diffusion in China: the rise of welfare regions?

Cited by 32 publications

References 0 publications

Explaining and understanding environmental actions in Chinese agriculture: the case of Yuqiao watershed of Tianjin municipality

Explaining and understanding environmental actions in Chinese agriculture: the case of Yuqiao watershed of Tianjin municipality

Towards Inclusive Social Citizenship? Rethinking China's Social Security in the Trend towards Urban–Rural Harmonisation

Recognition of innovation and diffusion of welfare policy: Alleviating urban poverty in Chinese cities during fiscal recentralization

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