Playing by the Informal Rules
Douban
Why the Chinese Regime Remains Stable despite Rising Protests
Yao Li
résumé
Growing protests in non-democratic countries are often seen as signals of regime decline. China, however, has remained stable amid surging protests. Playing by the Informal Rules highlights the importance of informal norms in structuring state-protester interactions, mitigating conflict, and explaining regime resilience. Drawing on a nationwide dataset of protest and multi-sited ethnographic research, this book presents a bird's-eye view of Chinese contentious politics and illustrates the uneven application of informal norms across regions, social groups, and time. Through examinations of protests and their distinct implications for regime stability, Li offers a novel theoretical framework suitable for monitoring the trajectory of political contention in China and beyond. Overall, this study sheds new light on political mobilization and authoritarian resilience and provides fresh perspectives on power, rules, legitimacy, and resistance in modern societies.
Presents a new view of political mobilization and authoritarian resilience
Provides a novel theoretical framework in which to monitor the trajectory of political contention in China and beyond
Proposes fresh perspectives on power, rules, legitimacy, and resistance in modern societies
contenus
1. Introduction: rising protests and regime stability
2. Mapping the space for protest
3. Accommodating informal norms in regime-engaging protests
4. Unequal application of accommodating informal norms: inequality in protest space
5. Antagonistic informal norms in regime-threatening protests
6. Conclusion
Appendix I
Appendix II
References
Index.