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: Suggested Citation
Yuen Yuen Ang (Contact Author)
Johns Hopkins University ( email )
Baltimore, MD 20036-1984
United States
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