Advocacy Coalitions, Policy Stability, and Policy Change in China: The Case of Birth Control Policy, 1980–2015. Issue 3 (14th March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Wei; Wong, Wilson
• Is Part Of: Policy studies journal. Volume 48:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 645
• Page End: 671
• Publication Date: 2019-03-14
• Subjects: advocacy coalition framework -- authoritarian regime -- Chinese birth control policy -- dominant advocacy coalition -- minority advocacy coalition; Policy sciences -- Periodicals; Policy sciences -- United States -- Periodicals; Political planning -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Periodicals; 320.6
• DOI: 10.1111/psj.12329
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0190-292X

Abstract

Abstract : This study used the advocacy coalition framework (ACF) to explain stability and change in China's national birth control policy from 1980 to 2015. We found that policy remained stable, despite internal and external changes to the relevant subsystem, from 1980 to 2013. The stability was explained by the dominant advocacy coalition's mobilization of considerable resources to defend its policy core beliefs. Policy changes in 2013 and 2015 were caused by a combination of external and internal perturbations, in addition to policy‐oriented learning and advocacy by two expert‐led minority advocacy coalitions. The case showed that the openness and plurality of China's policy processes had increased over time but were still limited in comparison with those in Western democracies. The case analysis confirmed two policy change hypotheses and suggested a mechanism for policy change: a hierarchically superior jurisdiction is more likely to impose a major policy change when it learns that the change is an adaptation to internal and external perturbations and that adopting the change will serve the jurisdiction's political interests. Abstract : 本研究通过倡导联盟框架（ACF）解释了中国计划生育政策在1980年至2015年间的稳定和变化。我们发现，自1980年至2013年，尽管相关政策子系统的内部和外部发生了变化，但是在此之间政策仍保持稳定。占主导地位的倡导联盟会调动大量资源来守卫其政策核心信念，政策的稳定性正来源于此。然而，自2013年至2015年，以下三个因素带来了政策变化：内外部扰动因素的共同作用，以政策为导向的学习，以及由专家主导的两个少数群体倡导联盟。本文的案例表明，中国政策进程的开放性和多元性随着时间的推移而得到了提高，但与西方民主国家相比仍然有限。通过案例分析，本文证实了关于政策变化的两个假设，并提出一种机制来解释政策变化：当具有更高管辖权的上级决策者认为政策变化是对内外扰动因素的必要适应，且政策变化将有利于其政治利益时，该决策者更有可能实施重大的政策变化。