Authoritarian Restraints on Online Activism Revisited: Why 'I-Paid-A-Bribe' Worked in India but Failed in China

Comparative Politics, Vol 47 (1), pp. 21-40

20 Pages Posted: 4 Apr 2013 Last revised: 23 Dec 2014

Date Written: November 2, 2013

Abstract

Authoritarian states restrain online activism not only through repression and censorship, but also by indirectly weakening the ability of netizens to self-govern and constructively engage the state. I demonstrate this argument by comparing I-Paid-A-Bribe (IPAB) — a crowd-sourcing platform that collects anonymous reports of petty bribery — in India and China. Whereas IPAB originated and has thrived in India, a copycat effort in China fizzled out within months. Contrary to those who attribute China’s failed outcome only to repression, I find that even before authorities shut down IPAB, the sites were already plagued by internal organizational problems that were comparatively absent in India. The study tempers expectations about the revolutionary effects of new media in mobilizing contention and checking corruption in the absence of a strong civil society.

Keywords: authoritarianism, online activism, censorship, civil society, corruption China, India

Suggested Citation

Ang, Yuen Yuen, Authoritarian Restraints on Online Activism Revisited: Why 'I-Paid-A-Bribe' Worked in India but Failed in China (November 2, 2013). Comparative Politics, Vol 47 (1), pp. 21-40, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2244661 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2244661

Yuen Yuen Ang (Contact Author)

Johns Hopkins University ( email )

Baltimore, MD 20036-1984
United States

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