CQ 266 pp. 418-434 2026-04-15 Original Solving Agency Problems in Chinese Universities: Academics in the Shadow of the Party’s Declared Leadership
PMR — pp. 1-25 2026-04-15 Original Shaping watershed collaboration: how government attention transforms informal interaction into formal cooperation
Jing Cui, Yichen Tang
Abstract
This study adopts a public value perspective to examine how government attention allocation influences watershed collaboration. Based on the panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2020 to 2024, we employed negative binomial regression. Results show that attention allocation significantly enhances both formal and informal collaboration, with informal collaboration mediating this relationship. The expected positive moderating effect of digital governance is not consistently supported. Furthermore, by distinguishing between formal and informal collaboration, this study deepens the understanding of the dynamic processes within the collaboration continuum. It provides evidence from Chinese river basins for understanding cross-jurisdictional collaboration.
CQ 266 pp. 365-384 2026-04-15 Original Governing through Visibility: Local Government Experimentation with Internet Celebrity Cities in China
Lu Liu, Yahua Wang
Abstract
Abstract The rise of internet celebrity cities has become one of the most striking phenomena in China since 2021. How do local governments respond and harness this trend to advance their development goals? This study focuses on local experimentation in creating such cities, drawing on the case of the Village Football Super League ( Cun chao 村超) in Guizhou. We identify policy entrepreneurship as a key driver of local experimentation and highlight three core strategies for creating internet celebrity cities: crafting local symbols, co-producing viral content and mitigating public opinion risk. Further analysis shows that this experimentation, by attracting massive public attention, simultaneously promotes economic growth, strengthens social cohesion, reinforces state narratives and projects China’s national image onto the global stage. Overall, the findings suggest an emerging model in which public attention becomes a core resource for local development and governance in China’s digital era.
PAR — 2026-04-15
Original Digital Sentiments: Toward a Theory of Emotions in Digital Governance
Galina Vissoky, Eran Vigoda‐Gadot, Evgeny M. Styrin
PMR — pp. 1-28 2026-04-14 Original Libraries in a changing society: resourcing value propositions for viability and societal relevance
Tiina Tuominen, Kirsi Hyytinen, Paul Windrum
Abstract
In the age of rapid societal change and resource constraints, public service organizations must revise their value propositions to remain relevant. Although prior research emphasizes practice-based learning and adaptability, limited attention has been given to how public service organizations renew their value propositions. This paper addresses this gap by applying the concept of resourcing. It develops a conceptual framework grounded in resourcing and illustrates its relevance through an analysis of public libraries that have successfully redefined their value propositions and societal position. The findings identify five resourcing tactics, demonstrating how public service organizations can innovate despite ongoing resource limitations.
PA — 2026-04-13
Original What Works for Whom? Exploring the Determinants and Hierarchical Tensions of Public Network Effectiveness: A Configurational Analysis
Yulong Jie, Shuigen Hu
PMR — pp. 1-27 2026-04-13 Original Taking the reins or taking the ride: the impact of online interactions on citizens’ perceptions of equity in public services
PMR — pp. 1-31 2026-04-13 Original How NGOs facilitate value co-creation through multilevel and processual mechanisms: evidence from China
Shuang Tan, Yu Du, Xiaonan Wang
Abstract
This study traces the evolution of nongovernmental organization (NGO) actions in China’s waste incineration risk governance through a longitudinal analysis of the Incineration Issue Strategic Group. Findings show that NGOs facilitate value co-creation (VCC) through continuous value awakening, co-design, co-production, co-experience, and co-construction. We propose multilevel and processual mechanisms: spatially, NGOs optimize actor networks and resource integration within public service ecosystems; temporally, they enable sustained co-creation through dynamic iterations. This study expands VCC phase models, clarifying the unique role of NGOs in facilitating VCC within public service ecosystems. It also provides a replicable model for NGO engagement under state-dominated regimes.
CQ 266 pp. 385-399 2026-04-13 Original From Contention to Clientelism: Evidence from the Ten-Year Fishing Ban in China
Jingping Liu
Abstract
Abstract How do ordinary Chinese people circumvent unpopular state policies? The existing literature primarily focuses on resistance against local bureaucrats. Drawing on ethnographic research on the ten-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River Basin, this article finds that fishermen (clients) continue to fish by maintaining patron–client relationships with the enforcers of the fishing ban (patrons). Ordinary fishermen seek the protection of enforcers through bribery. Enhanced state monitoring under the fishing ban facilitates bribery-based clientelism by weakening the fishermen’s everyday resistance, but it also constrains the power of enforcers by increasing the risk that their corruption will be discovered by upper-level authorities. For extremely poor fishermen, who are barely able to afford to pay bribes, their daily acts of resistance are morally justified by the need for subsistence safety, presenting enforcers with a dilemma: they must fulfil their law enforcement duties while also ensuring the survival of these individuals to maintain social stability. Therefore, cultivating a clientelist relationship with impoverished fishermen enables enforcers to manage their noncompliance, thereby balancing these conflicting goals. While clientelism protects people from unpopular policies to some extent, it more fundamentally strengthens the power of local bureaucrats, creating the potential for greater exploitation and larger-scale popular grievances in the long run.
PSJ — 2026-04-12
Original Limits on Terms, Limits on Control: The Effect of Chief Executive Term Limits on Bureaucratic Responsiveness
David R. Miller, Daniel M. Butler