Politics of intergovernmental jurisdiction zoning in central China

Abstract

This study examines the politics of reform process regarding intergovernmental jurisdiction zoning at the city-district interface in China. Clear demarcation of tasks and responsibilities between tiers of government is often perceived as the fundamental step in the design of a system of intergovernmental fiscal relations. Conversely, ambiguous and overlapping tasks and responsibilities across levels of government have been perceived as a main source of instability and controversies in government performance. In the past three decades, the governments in China have realized the significance and necessity of intergovernmental jurisdiction reform, and the literature has abundant discussions about the optimal reform principles and models, as well as the institutional constraints hindering reform. However, there has been relatively little progress in terms of policy change to improve the division of responsibilities between levels of government. More recently, reform attempts started to emerge in specific policy sectors and localities. This study of intergovernmental jurisdiction reform in a prefecture city in central China brings home the message, once again, the complexity of reform process and the importance of taking a close look at this process to observe the multiple conditions propelling change, and to delineate their respective roles. Institutional contradictions, external perturbation, collective common expectations, and critical actor's agency all play an important part during the change process, vividly displayed in the case of Xianning jurisdiction reform. This study also serves to contribute to the accumulation of "practical knowledge" about how to translate an expectation for change to concrete reform plans and successful implementation.

Date of Award	15 Jul 2011
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	City University of Hong Kong
Supervisor	Che Lan Linda LI (Supervisor)