Lukas Kronberger

University of Vienna | UniWien

Social unrest is on the rise in China, but the CCP apparently enjoys the consent of the majority of its people. How can extraordinary high rates of public support be maintained in a country where income inequality is so extreme? We believe that the answer to this question lies in the responsiveness of China’s authoritarian one-party regime to popular demands and grievances, a capability that has so far been attributed only to democratic regimes. The project, which is funded by the European Research Council, sheds light on the intended and unintended consequences of enhanced e-participation in China.