Jiang_Min---Authoritarian Deliberation: Public Delieration in China

Authoritarian Deliberation: Public Deliberation in China Min Jiang (Ph.D. Purdue) Assistant Professor Communication Studies UNC-Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28269 E-mail: mjiang3@uncc.edu

Deliberative Poll in Zeguo, 2005
“ The public is smart. Under the right conditions, it’s smart in China just like it’s smart in Britain or smart in Bulgaria.”
-- James Fishkin (2005)
In Zeguo township, residents voice their opinions in Deliberative Poll plenary session. (Photo: Jeffrey Prescott)

Key Questions
Can public deliberation take place in less democratic countries?
Do countries have to be democratized first in order to achieve public deliberation?
If the pursuit of better policy making, civic and political participation is not limited to Western societies, in what ways can less democratic societies benefit from deliberative theories?
How can the deliberative experiences in other parts of the world inform and enrich the theories of public deliberation in the West?

Overview
Define public deliberation
Analytical and social aspects
Authoritarian deliberation
US and Chinese public deliberation
Offline
Online
Conclusion

Define Public Deliberation
Gastil & Black (2008)
“ When people deliberate, they carefully examine a problem and arrive at a well-reasoned solution after a period of inclusive, respectful consideration of diverse points of view” (p.2)
Analytical : problem-solution model (Dewey, 1910)
Social : equality, rights, respect, emotions
Types of public deliberation in the West
Informal conversations, media & public opinion, government decision making, public meetings, elections, juries, communities

Public Deliberation Graph Media & Business Government Juries, Gov Decision Making Civil Society Informal Political Discussions, Communities Media & Public Opinion Election, Multilateral Deliberation Public Meetings

Authoritarian Deliberation
He (2006)
Top leaders are not elected
Deliberation under one-party domination
Arguments and reasoning – communicative action – solve collective problems
Types of public deliberation in China
Informal conversations, media & public opinion, government decision making, public meetings, village elections, communities

Informal Conversations
National Issues Forum
Public Forum Institute
Huaxia Zhiqing Net
Xici Hutong Net

Media and Public Opinion 1
Indymedia
Ourmedia
Strengthening the Nation Forum
Hunan Red Net

Media and Public Opinion 2 – Chinese Blogs
Douban 9 o’clock
Antiwave
Don’t Think
Antiwave YouTube Interview

Government Decision Making
U.S.
Congressional discourse
Court decision making
China - Blogs
National People’s Congress (NPC)
Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference

Public Meetings
America Speaks
21 st Century Town Hall Meetings
Deliberative Opinion Polls (Fishkin)
Politicopia Utah
China
Local deliberative institution (He, 2005)
Citizen evaluation meeting
Beijing Legislative bill comments

Observations
Chinese civil society and media are dominated by government, and increasingly commercial influence
Chinese public deliberative institutions tend to be voluntary, dispersive, and less institutionalized
Deliberative goals: better policies, and more accountable government
Offline and online deliberative platforms and interactions
Institutional exchange of public deliberation between U.S. and China

Conclusion
Emerging empirical evidence of public deliberation in China
Public deliberation is a passage to increased political participation and civil liberties in China
Public deliberation to be nourished alongside other democratic institutions
Societal and institutional changes to employ a variety of strategies to facilitate citizens’ participation in local and national affairs
The project of public deliberation to broadened to account for complex realities

Jiang_Min---Authoritarian Deliberation: Public Delieration in China

by Chinese Internet Research Conference on Jun 22, 2008

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