Agents and Remonstrators: Role Accumulation by Chinese People's Congress Deputies
China Quarterly, No. 138, pp. 359-80, June 1994
22 Pages Posted: 18 Apr 2008
Abstract
Among Chinese people's congress deputies who are active and who do not exclusively adopt the role of regime agent, many play a role reminiscent of the upright official remonstrating the emperor. Archival materials and interviews with 39 individual - legislative leaders, deputies and staff in Wuhan, Tianjin, Beijing, and Harbin during 1989, 1990 and 1991 - suggest that some deputies bring group or particularistic problems identified through their job or private life to the attention of leaders and request a response. They possess information, rather than a mandate, and the leadership has no obligation to respond if the information is incorrect or the solution is too costly. Deputies who choose this role may combine it with their usual role implementing laws and explaining policies to the citizenry. In so doing, they may recreate and redefine their role perception to alleviate role strain significantly.
Keywords: China, legislature, local people's congress, representation, role theory, role accumulation
JEL Classification: K40, O54, P30
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation