Politics as Usual
Emerging electronic infrastructures: exploring democratic components
Social Science Computer Review - E-government
Open Networks, Closed Regimes: The Impact of the Internet on Authoritarian Rule
Open Networks, Closed Regimes: The Impact of the Internet on Authoritarian Rule
Bringing e-democracy back in: why it matters for future research on e-governance
Social Science Computer Review - Special issue: Jane fountain's "building the virtual state"
Using E-Government to Reinforce Government–Citizen Relationships
Social Science Computer Review
Effects of the internet and sociocultural factors on budget transparency and accountability
Proceedings of the 13th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research
Predictors of on-line services and e-participation: a cross-national comparison
Proceedings of the 14th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research
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This article explores the communicative structures of Chinese government web sites and their implications for citizen political participation. Taking issue with the party-state's dubious claim of building a transparent, service-oriented, and democratic administration, the study analyzed web features on 31 Chinese provincial government portals. The UN's e-participation framework was adapted to locate venues for citizen involvement. The results suggest that by manipulating online structures, Chinese government resorts to more subtle forms of online social control through information delivery, agenda setting, and containment of public dissent. Limited improvement in administrative efficiency and transparency serves the dual role of deflating social tension and reestablishing party legitimacy. Paradoxically, citizens' political participation may generate unintended consequences of incremental reform of China's local governance and political institutions.