The Stages of Political Innovation in Rural China’s Local Democratisation: Four Cases of Villagers’ Political Innovations

Liyan Zhang · 2012 · China Report

Summary. This paper examines how rural Chinese villages have driven political democratization through grassroots innovation over three decades. Villagers' collective action triggered political reforms, with ongoing interaction between communities and government advancing the process. The author applies a four-stage innovation model—problem identification, trigger, initiative, and diffusion—to explain how institutional political change occurs in rural areas, showing that political innovation follows the same patterns as technological and economic innovation.

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@article{zhang-2012-stages-political-innovation-rural-china,
  title   = {The Stages of Political Innovation in Rural China’s Local Democratisation: Four Cases of Villagers’ Political Innovations},
  author  = {Liyan Zhang},
  journal = {China Report},
  year    = {2012},
  doi     = {10.1177/0009445512466620},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1177/0009445512466620}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - The Stages of Political Innovation in Rural China’s Local Democratisation: Four Cases of Villagers’ Political Innovations
AU  - Liyan Zhang
JO  - China Report
PY  - 2012
DO  - 10.1177/0009445512466620
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1177/0009445512466620
ER  - 

Details

DOI

10.1177/0009445512466620

Countries

China

Regions

Asia

Categories

innovation-theory, policy

Added

2026-04-28