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Civic Participation and Demographics in Rural China: A Data-Driven Learning Guide
Goal & Concept
Goal
The goal of this exercise is to examine the relationship between demographic characteristics and different forms of civic participation in China. Crosstabulation will be used.
Concept
Demographics and civic participation are very closely linked in political science research. Civic participation is the involvement in activities intended to influence public policy and leadership. Though voting is the most popular form of civic participation, there are many ways that citizens can get involved in the political process.
After China moved away from the commune system, they introduced a system of local (village) councils and committees. As a result, civic participation in China is more about people being a part of the discussion about political decisions than making political decisions, per se. Some non-traditional forms of civic participation in rural China include attending village meetings, voicing opinions, and contacting delegates.
Examples of research questions about demographics and different form of civic participation in China include:
- What is the relationship between certain demographic categories and local participation in China?
- Which forms of participation are most popular among Chinese citizens in the countryside?
- Were rural Chinese citizens in 1990 interested in local elections?
- How does participation in rural China differ from participation in Chinese cities?
CITATION: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research. Civic Participation and Demographics in Rural China: A Data-Driven Learning Guide. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], July, 31 2009. Doi:10.3886/China
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