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Useful Complaints: How Petitions Assist Decentralized Authoritarianism in China Jing Chen Lanham, Boulder, New York and London : Lexington Books , 2016 xv + 186 pp. £54.95 ISBN 978-1-4985-3452-9
Book Reviews
Much of the research on the petition system in China has explored its role as a channel of political participation. Jing Chen's new book focuses on the relationship between petitions and governance in China, arguing that petitions help to ensure the regime's survival. "Aside from just managing the grievances of the masses, the petition system also helps to alleviate the information deficiencies faced by the CCP's authoritarian regime" (p. 14). This book is not the first study that points out petitions as a source of information of state authorities in China, but it is systematic research on how information collected through the petition system has been used by different levels of authorities. The book is based on systematic data the author collected through various channels.
The book has seven chapters, including an "Introduction" and "Conclusion." The five substantive chapters address different issues concerning the roles played by the petition system as well as the factors that influence citizens' use of petitions. Chapter two briefly reviews the history of the petition system in China and then, using the data collected from a township, explains how petitions can hold local officials accountable. Residents'...