Editorial

This issue offers a rich menu of studies from various areas of public policy. The first article by Jane Duckett and Hua Wang defies the traditional belief that authoritarian states offer citizens few opportunities for political participation. In the voluminous literature of China studies, there have been plenty of studies demonstrating the dominance of political elites, bureaucracy, and internal factions within the communist party in policy-making process. With a case study of Hangzhou city, Duckett and Wang update the readership with recent progress at the local level in encouraging citizens’ participation into policymaking. By creating a variety of mechanisms with which citizens are allowed to voice opinions on public policy and evaluate government performance, the local party-state strives to enhance legitimacy and improve governance. Although still under political control, as argued by the authors, Hangzhou’s initiative signifies a paradigmatic shift of political participation in China.