On the Political Consequences of Deliberative Governance in China

Abstract

How can local governments in developing countries, constrained by limited resources, identify and respond to the most pressing public demands? This paper posits that public deliberative platforms, even those with controlled agendas, can be instrumental in this regard by facilitating communication between local elites and ordinary citizens, thereby enhancing political trust in the short term. Public deliberation serves two functions: firstly, it highlights shifting societal issues, incentivizing bureaucrats to respond more promptly; and secondly, it generates narratives that temporarily improve the public perception of local governments, even among individuals not directly benefiting from government actions. This study provides evidence consistent with these theoretical implications by examining Chinese topical debate programs (TDPs), during which local officials engage with citizens and respond to their concerns. Empirical results based on a staggered Difference-in-Differences design suggest that broadcasting such programs in China significantly enhances citizens’ trust in local officials in the short run. Our results demonstrate that public deliberation can play a limited positive role in developing countries, even with controlled agendas and constrained resources.

Keywords: public deliberation, political trust, government responsiveness, narratives