State-society Relations Research Articles

Organising Irresponsibility: Pandemic Management, State Transformation and the Diversion of Class Politics in Scotland’s COVID-19 Response

The COVID-19 lockdowns rank as the most abrupt and consequential transformations in modern state-society relations outside of wartime. One enduring puzzle of this period is the convergence of policy responses during COVID-19, despite the diffusion of power and sovereignty that has accompanied the emergence of multilevel governance paradigms. We investigate this by examining the politics of pandemic management in the context of Scotland’s devolved relationship with the United Kingdom. The paper draws on interview data with governance officials and analysis of devolved policy literature to show that presentational differences between Holyrood and Westminster’s responses to COVID-19 disguised substantive similarities in interventions and outcomes. It argues that these stylistic conflicts served to channel and offset class-based grievances and epitomise the organisation of irresponsibility: the power to disclaim accountability. This reflects the dysfunctional tension between levels of multilevel governance that incentivise superficial conflicts over scale and jurisdiction while dispersing and diffusing responsibility.

Ideas in transition? Policymakers’ ideas of the social dimension of the green transition

Climate change and its associated mitigation policies have an impact on people’s livelihoods. Therefore, how best to react to such impacts is currently a prominent topic in academic and policymaking debates. The article contributes to this new and rapidly developing academic discourse by identifying different understandings of the social dimension within current paradigms of the green transition and analysing policymakers’ understandings of this dimension in Germany and the European Union. The integration of the social dimension ultimately depends on underlying understandings of redistribution and the state-society relationship. The market-liberal Green Economy approach is dominant in the discourse; its narrow social dimension is mostly seeking to increase the acceptance of climate policy through earmarking revenues of carbon trading. Green Keynesian arguments, which examine structural policies and allow for more integrated approaches of social protection are fighting to be heard. Ideas from the Degrowth sphere gain only fragmented access to the policy debates, as they are often framed as unrealistic and politically unfeasible. An interest-based understanding of the welfare state would be suited to mediate interests within the transformation process and socially legitimise climate policy, but current Green Economy discourses primarily aim for social policy to fulfil an appeasing role.

Wangbao (Cyberbullying) and Jubao (Reporting): Collaborative State-Society Online Influence Operations in China

This study introduces the concept of “strategically ambiguous collaborative influence operations” to examine the phenomena of wangbao (cyberbullying) and jubao (reporting) in China. These operations involve the intertwined efforts of state and non-state actors to suppress critical voices in the online sphere. They are characterized by the strategic use of ambiguity in the state-society relationship, which enables flexibility, adaptability, and plausible deniability for the state. The study combines an analysis of secondary materials on selected cases, interviews, and a survey to argue that several features of China’s political system facilitate the ambiguity associated with these operations. Focusing on the victims’ perceptions, this study identifies the strategies they use to make sense of their experiences and discern state vs. non-state activities. It proposes a typology to illustrate the perceived levels of state involvement in these operations. The study highlights the importance of recognizing and examining strategically ambiguous collaborative influence operations as a distinct form of state-society partnership, which has significant implications for individuals, society, and the dynamics of online influence operations.

Book review: Governing Neighborhoods in Urban China: Changing State–Society Relations

Book review: Governing Neighborhoods in Urban China: Changing State–Society Relations

Explaining de-sectarianization

A key feature of the 21st century Middle East thus far has been the vertiginous rise and precipitate retreat of sectarian (Sunni-Shi’a) division as a dominant paradigm in contentious politics and international relations. Understanding these shifts yields important lessons regarding identity politics, state-society relations, regime-maintenance strategies, and inter-group relations.

Historical State Formation Within and Beyond Europe

State formation is a critical concern for comparative politics. Much of the most influential literature has focused on the politically fragmented setting of early modern Europe, where warmaking fostered state consolidation and the development of institutions of representation and taxation. More recently, scholars have expanded this perspective by emphasizing the state-building implications of alternative forms of competition, interstate cooperation, and emulation, as well as the influence of a broader set of societal actors beyond belligerent rulers. The authors review recent scholarship on state formation that suggests that the canonical bellicist path is only one pathway to state consolidation, both in Europe and beyond. This article draws attention to the importance of geography and to new insights regarding the organization of state-society relations and the influence of regional and global economic engagements on state formation.

Flexible Organizational Weapon of the Party: The New Presence of Women’s Federations in Women’s NGOs in China

ABSTRACT In the past decade, the Party-state has shifted from pragmatic strategies to Party integration approaches when dealing with the third sector. It has reintroduced its organizational mechanism—mass organizations—to manage this sector and enhance direct linkages with its social constituents. This article investigates how mass organizations strategically connect with and govern civil society through a series of Party integration approaches. Drawing on the cases of women’s federations (WFs) and women’s non-governmental organizations (NGOs), we propose a new typology of NGOs based on their relations with the Party: WF-affiliated, civic and independent NGOs. We then evaluate WFs’ Party integration strategies directed at each type of NGOs. First, NGOs directly affiliated with WFs/the Party play a unique political role. Second, to increase regime support, WFs develop patronage relations with civic women’s NGOs that are managed via the administrative system but unembedded in the Party system. Third, independent NGOs detached from both the Party and administrative organizations are flexibly marginalized. This article suggests that Party–state–society relations have been rewritten: civil society faces compound control from the administrative and Party systems, and the Party aims to build organizational hegemony.

When long lost siblings reunite: populism, conservatism and the discontents of progress

ABSTRACT Although in recent years populism has emerged from within mainstream conservative parties around the world, populism and conservatism are still rarely studied together. Trying to establish a link between the two may appear paradoxical, given their opposing ideational content, as populism mobilizes the people against the elites, while conservatism defends established hierarchies and traditions. This article argues however that we can identify many more similarities and overlaps between populism and conservatism if we adopt a broader conceptualization of political ideologies that includes not only their ideational content but also their discursive, strategic, organizational and structural dimensions. On this basis, the article views populism and conservatism as modes of politics that mobilize followers primarily on the basis of idealized visions of the political community and state–society relations. Although populism puts forth an antagonistic vision of these relations and conservatism a deferential one, both are otherwise quite similar to strategies aimed at defining the boundaries and character of the political community on the basis of its relationship with political authority. The article conducts an empirical probe demonstrating how its theoretical argument can be applied in comparative research.

Disaster, Societal Responses, and State Legitimacy in Crisis in Vietnam

This article examines the role of celebrity activism in post-disaster politics in the context of state authoritarianism in Vietnam. In late 2020, a chain of violent tropical storms hit Vietnam’s central highland region – host to hundreds of hydropower dams – triggering severe landslides and floods that devastated human lives and local livelihoods. Drawing on data gathered through social media, online platforms, and interviews with non-governmental organisations and private sector actors, this article shows how the rupture of these disaster events facilitated socio-political openings in state–society relations that might otherwise have remained closed. It explores these political contestations, attributions of blame, and the competing recovery efforts that emerged between government actors, celebrities, and citizens. Public debates over the natural and political catalysts of the disaster revealed major structural and governance problems for the state, which allowed voluntary charity work by a celebrity to supplement state functions during the disaster. Considered illegal under state law, the article shows how support from the public and lower tiers of government for private charity work challenged state legitimacy. Under pressure from within and from citizens, the central government had to amend its policies to accommodate voluntary disaster relief – to restore its flagging legitimacy.

State-society relations and the “re-industrialization” of the developed world: power relations, coordination and growth paths

State-society relations and the “re-industrialization” of the developed world: power relations, coordination and growth paths

Taxing the informal sector: Coping with Coercion in Bamako, Mali

AbstractMotivationIn recent years, research has shown that informal workers and businesses in low‐income countries are increasingly taxed by the state. While rarely a significant revenue source, informal sector taxation in highly informalized economies affects a large proportion of the working population. Under such circumstances the question of whether taxing informal economic activity either improves or undermines state–society relations are still debated, particularly in the case of fragile states whose tax systems tend to be characterized by a high degree of coercion towards poor actors.PurposePrevious research has tended to focus on tax evasion and how to increase tax compliance in the informal economy. In this article, we aim to explore how informal sector actors in Bamako, Mali, interact with local tax collectors in various ways with varying levels of agency. On this basis, we develop a broader analytical framework for understanding local government–taxpayer relations.Approach and methodsIn a case study of Mali, a fragile state with violent conflict and a highly informalized economy, we made use of qualitative research methods with semi‐structured interviews and focus group discussions with different actors in the informal economy.FindingsWe find four main modes of interaction: (1) “tax evasion,” where individuals evade or minimize their tax obligations; (2) “tax bargaining,” where groups with limited political resources negotiate with local authorities; (3) “forced taxation,” where disadvantaged groups pay taxes without tangible returns or a voice in protest; and (4) “harsh sanctions” faced by those unable to pay or evade taxes. Informal sector actors show a different capacity for collective action impacting their agency vis‐à‐vis state authorities.Policy implicationsThe informal sector needs to be unpacked in fragile states, focusing on understanding existing fiscal pressures on different informal actors and their various strategies for navigating tax systems. Tax administrations should promote dialogue and trust‐building measures and avoid strategies that exacerbate social division and undermine state–society relations.

Service Delivery Protests in the South African Government

The social insecurity present in the nation has impeded the desired democratic system from thriving in various communities due to the lack of progress since its inception. The municipal authorities continue to grapple with governance and service provision issues within their communities. The 1994 victory sparked anticipation and excitement in society, leading to the expectation of policy changes and the rectification of past imbalances. However, the situation has resulted in discourse, inequality, and conflict among communities and state institutions. Municipal authorities have been at the centre of service delivery protests and their inability to address the needs of the communities they serve. Protests have erupted at all levels of government, with the majority becoming violent and fueled by various motivations. This study aims to evaluate relative deprivation and community protests within the South African context and to explore their relationship. Furthermore, it seeks to provide possible recommendations on how to address this phenomenon. The study posits that service delivery protests are influenced by relative deprivation, which has persisted due to inadequate service delivery. The paper suggests that inclusive policies that encourage public participation and foster trust in state-society relations can alleviate deprivation and protests. The study used a qualitative approach, gathering data from secondary sources and materials.

From State Developmentalism to Financial Populism: The ‘Bank of Welfare' and Mexico’s Moral Economy

ABSTRACT The Mexican state-owned bank Banco del Bienestar (BB) — Bank of Welfare — has received a lot of attention for its role in the current Government’s ambitious political project to create an ‘alternative to neoliberalism’ and turn Mexico into a ‘moral economy’. This article analyzes the activities of Banco del Bienestar, with special attention to the recent economic crisis induced by the Covid-19 pandemic. We conclude that BB has followed a path from a state developmentalist-corporatist, to a neoliberal, to a postneoliberal, ‘financial populist’ model, under changing political cultures and with an increasing historical importance for state-society relations. The BB currently operates as a government-funded public entity serving the distribution of non-repayable social benefits to large, vulnerable population groups, while maintaining links with financial markets. We interpret this shift from the neoliberal to the financial populist era of public banking as consolidation of a ‘fix’ of neoliberalism’s failures, which is based on the definitive acceptance of the reality of development perspectives of the Global South. ‘Public purpose’ in this context becomes based on a social imaginary where the ‘public’ is comprised of those that are permanently taken care of by the paternalistic state.

Multiple Effects and Intrinsic Logic in Reshaping the Paradigm of Government Governance Through Digital Technology

Digital technology is profoundly shaping the Chinese governance paradigm. This study presents a multilayered theoretical model comprising the “tool empowerment layer-organizational change layer-system upgrading layer” to elucidate the impacts and underlying logic of digital technology in reshaping this governance paradigm, showing that it is undergoing spiral advancement and incremental optimization. Central-local relations show a transition from “top-down decentralization” to “unified integration”; the intergovernmental structural paradigm shows a transition from “congruent responsibilities” to “integrated collaboration”; risk governance shows a transition from “reactive response” to “proactive prevention”; interface communication shows a transition from “vague delay” to “agile governance”; and finally, resource allocation shows a transition from “unidirectional allocation” to “bidirectional coupling.” These transitions underscore three key logics: technological tool empowerment, organizational adaptive learning, and systemic evolution. The integration of digital technology into government governance is not only reshaping state-society relations but also promoting a dynamic, interconnected, and adaptable governance ecosystem, facilitating harmonious progress between the state and society.

Shaping Ethnoracial Identities: State-Society Relations and Programmatic Differentiation in the Andes

Under what circumstances do ethnoracial groups become programmatically differentiated? This article argues that ethnoracial programmatic differentiation results from major transformations in groups’ access to state power. Access to state power conditions ethnoracial groups’ perceptions of the state and their support for state-centric programmatic policies. As historically-excluded groups gain access to power, and historically-advantaged ones lose theirs, programmatic differentiation increases, the product of shifting relationships with the state. I evaluate this argument using survey data from the Andean region and demonstrate that ethnoracial groups have become programmatically differentiated where the indigenous have recently gained political power, but not elsewhere despite widespread structural inequalities and extensive indigenous organizational capacity. The findings shed light on why ethnoracialized preferences vary across contexts in unexpected ways.

The Impact of Boundary Formations on State-Society Relations in Nigeria 1960 – 1996

The Impact of Boundary Formations on State-Society Relations in Nigeria 1960 – 1996

Performative legitimation of waste-to-energy infrastructure: incineration politics in Guangzhou low-carbon transition

Cities are emerging as the frontiers of low-carbon transition. The emergence of low-carbon cities in East Asian developmental states is often seen as serving nation-state-led transformative development and economic restructuring. But how are specific low-carbon infrastructures socially produced at the city level, especially in the context of social protests? What is the role of the local state? This paper addresses these questions through the case of Guangzhou’s waste-to-energy incineration, an infrastructure that was selected as a national low-carbon technology in China in 2014. The paper proposes a conceptual framework of “performative legitimation of infrastructure” and, drawing from the empirical work, identifies five performative governance tools – (re)conceptualization, reterritorialization, bureaucratization, culturalization and codification – which respond to evolving social demands, consolidate the legitimacy of incineration and regulate state–society relations in different contexts. The production of urban low-carbon infrastructure is presented as a material-discursive process that supports the legitimation of the local state.

Introducing public choice in international relations: the Russian invasion of Ukraine

With this article, I present a public choice perspective on Russia’s war on Ukraine. I criticise the realist view according to which Russia’s security concerns, defined by President Putin, prompted the conflict. I argue that realism offers a deficient analytic framework to the extent that it disregards the political and economic structure of Russia and, generally speaking, how the political economy of each case study shapes preferences, strategies and intra-elite relations, which feed into foreign policy formation. Russia is a government-controlled economy and society; a key property of Russia’s political economy is the dependency of key socio-economic actors and groups on the regime’s survival. This landscape pre-empts the expression of genuine feedback and dissent from society, and explains why Putin’s decision has faced very little disagreement and resistance. Given the previously close economic ties between Russia and Ukraine, this article also challenges capitalist peace theory for its blanket assertion that dense economic relations would provide a strong disincentive for countries to resort to war. Instead of talking about capitalism generically, we can discern varieties of capitalism, as they condition state–society relations differently. In Russia, the value that key socio-economic elites assign to their relationship with Putin outweighs the costs they are experiencing from the conflict and the external sanctions. Developing a public choice perspective in the study of international relations focuses on the preferences and strategies of the leadership and of domestic elite-level actors within the aggressor state, and invites attention to the power asymmetries that characterise their relationship.

Foundation of the Political Resilience in China: A Perspective of State Capacity

ABSTRACT The issue of how the Chinese Communist regime has managed to sustain amidst market-oriented reforms and social pluralism has been widely explored, but the findings have not been entirely satisfying. This study aims to provide a more comprehensive explanation from the perspective of state capacity, going beyond traditional approaches. By analyzing welfare policies implemented since the early 2000s, this article seeks to demonstrate that the regime’s resilience has been significantly bolstered through the expansion of welfare programs and improvements in efficiency. The enforcement of welfare policies involves changes in both the center-local and state-society relationships. As crucial aspects of state capacity, the rationalization of bureaucratic structure and functions, as well as the state’s influence over impoverished communities, have undergone substantial improvement and consolidation. These results contribute to the stability and resilience of the Chinese political regime. However, challenges for the communist regime will emerge if welfare provision for the economically disadvantaged is no longer guaranteed and if state capacity is seriously weakened due to economic stagnation

The misruling elites: the state, local elites, and the social geography of the Chinese Revolution

The existing scholarship has developed six main explanations to account for the success of the Chinese Revolution, which has been anomalous for major paradigms derived from cross-national comparisons. Methodologically, we use a social geographical approach to test these existing explanations systematically by constructing and analyzing a unique dataset of Communist growth in 93 counties in the three most contested provinces during its most pivotal period of ascendence. Theoretically, we advance and test an alternative perspective, based on the groundwork of Tocqueville and Fei Xiaotong, that integrates the state-centric theory, elite theory, and cultural analysis. Our perspective emphasizes the interplay between state centralization and local elite structure, which leads to intensified state extraction and local elite fracturing, thus creating favorable conditions for revolution. The quantitative analysis strongly supports the importance of the Japanese invasion but provides limited support for many other conventional explanations. The analysis largely confirms the Tocqueville-Fei perspective on state centralization, elite fracturing, cultural change, and revolution. The findings are buttressed by a detailed case study of Lianshui County. The study unveils a common structural challenge that a modernizing state faces in an agrarian status society, to recreate its political legitimacy while disrupting local elite structure. It also sheds historical light on the evolution of state-society relationship through the Chinese Revolution.