Inclusiveness in Governance: Why Is the Chinese Authoritarian Regime Not Democratizing?

Abstract

Most of the literature discussing authoritarian survival focuses on either different degrees of “contestation/election” or various types of elite coalitions. However, the current regime of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) utilizes an alternative strategy: the inclusion of societal actors in the process of public governance. This chapter proposes a new political logic of authoritarian survival by modifying Dahl’s concept of inclusiveness in polyarchy. By examining five case studies, it argues that the CCP has adopted the strategy of “replacing contestation with inclusiveness (in governance),” which is intended to alleviate bottom-up contention as well as to divert demands for political contestation. It thus contributes to the CCP’s resilience as a non-competitive authoritarian regime.