Notice the comment? Chinese government responsiveness to public participation in the policymaking process

Abstract

We investigate government responsiveness in the notice and comment process, a prominent instrument of consultative authoritarianism through which policy is made in contemporary China. We conduct an extensive data collection effort, assembling draft policies, public comments, and government responses for more than one thousand instances of notice and comment policymaking over a 17-year period. Our statistical analysis demonstrates both the promise and limitations of consultative authoritarianism in the context of the notice and comment process. Government responsiveness in salient policy areas and to lengthy and critical comments demonstrates that public scrutiny matters to policymakers. These patterns are consistent with the notion that autocrats seek to remain in power not only through repression but also by bolstering exchanges of information between state and society. Central government ministries, however, are relatively unresponsive, indicating that significant aspects of policymaking are not characterized by robust attention to public sentiment and information.