Varieties of Governance in China : Migration and Institutional Change in Chinese Villages

It is well understood that "good institutions" are essential for good governance. But even institutions that follow similar designs vary significantly with regard to performance across countries and even across regions within the same country. Following China's abolishment of the Commune system to accommodate market-oriented reforms in the 1980s, decentralized, grassroots democracy was introduced in rural China in order to improve the quality of local governance. In this book, Jie Lu looks at variance among local governance institutions in China to examine under what conditions indigenously cultivated institutions or externally imposed institutions are able to succeed, particularly under pressures of economic modernization. Lu argues that any governance institution can perform effectively as long as it can produce collective action and accountability, but the relative effectiveness of institutions is contingent upon the social environment in which they are embedded. When economic conditions prompt outward migration, social environments are reshaped such that rules-based formal institutions will trump relation-based indigenous forms. In identifying the optimal social conditions for the effective performance of different governance institutions and theorizing the effects of social change on these institutions, Lu deepens understanding of how institutions, particularly in developing countries, change, and under what conditions institutional modernization or engineering may succeed or fail. This Book Argues That Any Institution That Can Efficiently Solve The Problems Of Collective Action And Accountability Is Able To Uphold Quality Governance In Local Communities, Regardless Of Their Nature And Origins. The Respective Performance Of Different Types Of Institutions, However, Is Contingent Upon The Characteristics Of The Social Environment In Which They Are Embedded. Such Social Environment Characteristics Are, In Turn, Closely Shaped By The Structural Features Of The Local Communities. This Book Further Argues That, Among A Variety Of Factors That Might Have Contributed To The Structural Transformation Of Rural Communities, The Most Salient Is A Major Phenomenon Witnessed In Many Developing Countries: Rural-urban Migration. More Specifically, In Local Communities With Distinct Levels Of Outward Migration, Community Members' Contextualized Choices Between Indigenous Relation-based And Imposed Rule-based Institutions For Local Governance Issues Are Likely To Unfold In Different Ways. This Generates Distinct Dynamics Of Institutional Change In These Communities With Varying Communal Structures. This Is The First Book That Uses A Coherent Framework To Simultaneously Examine Various Aspects Of Rural China's Governance (including Public Goods Provision, Conflict Resolution, Disaster And Crisis Relief, And Raising Modest Credit And Small Loans) And Covers Both Formal And Informal Institutions-- Machine Generated Contents Note: -- Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Local Governance In Transformed Communities -- Chapter 3. Evolution Of China's Rural Governance And Rural-urban Migration -- Chapter 4. Local Publi Goods Provision, Institutional Performance, And Rural-urban Migration In Chinese Villages -- Chapter 5. Transformed Social Foundations Of Governance In Rural China: Rural-urban Migration And Social Environments In Chinese Villages -- Chapter 6. Rural-urban Migration And Contextualized Institutional Choices In Rural China -- Chapter 7. Conclusion -- Chapter 8. Epilogue: New Opportunities For Rural China's Governance? -- Chapter 1 Appendix: 2008 Asia Barometer Survey Mainland China Survey (absmcs) And 2008 National Village Survey (nvs) -- Chapter 4 Appendix: Multivariate Probit Regression (mpr) -- Chapter 5 Appendix -- Chapter 6 Appendix -- Notes -- Reference List -- Index. Jie Lu. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "This book argues that any institution that can efficiently solve the problems of collective action and accountability is able to uphold quality governance in local communities, regardless of their nature and origins. The respective performance of different types of institutions, however, is contingent upon the characteristics of the social environment in which they are embedded. Such social environment characteristics are, in turn, closely shaped by the structural features of the local communities. This book further argues that, among a variety of factors that might have contributed to the structural transformation of rural communities, the most salient is a major phenomenon witnessed in many developing countries: rural-urban migration. More specifically, in local communities with distinct levels of outward migration, community members' contextualized choices between indigenous relation-based and imposed rule-based institutions for local governance issues are likely to unfold in different ways. This generates distinct dynamics of institutional change in these communities with varying communal structures. This is the first book that uses a coherent framework to simultaneously examine various aspects of rural China's governance (including public goods provision, conflict resolution, disaster and crisis relief, and raising modest credit and small loans) and covers both formal and informal institutions"--De l'éditeur Cover 1 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 1. Introduction 16 2. Local Governance in Transformed Communities 34 3. Evolution of China’s Rural Governance and Rural–Urban Migration 64 4. Local Public Goods Provision, Institutional Performance, and Rural–Urban Migration in Chinese Villages 99 5. Transformed Social Foundations of Governance in Rural China: Rural–Urban Migration and Social Environments in Chinese Villages 147 6. Rural–Urban Migration and Contextualized Institutional Choices in Rural China 171 7. Conclusion 196 8. Epilogue: New Opportunities for Rural China’s Governance? 215 Appendix 1: 2008 Asian Barometer Survey Mainland China Survey (ABSMCS) and 2008 National Village Survey (NVS) 222 Appendix 2: Multivariate Probit Regression (MPR) 225 Appendix 3 227 Appendix 4 230 Notes 234 Reference List 270 Index 298