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Innovators And Implementers: The Multilevel Politics Of Civil Society Governance In Rural China, Sara A. Newland

Government: Faculty Publications

Early literature on China's civil society focused on organizations' autonomy from the state. However, the precise ways in which these organizations are dependent on the state - and on individual officials - are less well understood. I argue that NGOs depend on different types of officials whose career incentives vary, with significant implications for relationships with non-state actors. One set of officials, innovators, seeks rapid promotion and uses civil society partnerships to gain higher-level attention. Innovators' career goals lead them to provide support for NGOs; however, excessive reliance on innovators can force organizations to stray from their mission and can …