Contribution to Book
Convergence and Divergence in Policy Topics Among Think Tanks in China
Lobbying the Autocrat: The Dynamics of Policy Advocacy in Non-Democracies
(2023)
Abstract
Foreign affairs policymaking inputs by think tanks are one of the most difficult analytical characteristics to disaggregate and analyze. This is further compounded when examining an authoritarian regime such as China with limited publicly accessible information. Using novel text analytical techniques, this study examines (dis)similarities in foreign policy topics, and temporal shifts, amongst Chinese domestic think tanks during the early period of Xi Jinping’s administration (2013-present). Think tanks in the sample are refined by organizational types such as government, government-operated, and university-affiliated think tanks. In spite of operating in an increasingly centralized authoritarian institutional environment, there are observed variations in topics covered by think tanks over time and organizational types. These findings are notable for domestic and international actors wanting to engage with Chinese institutions who influence foreign affairs policymaking.
Keywords
- China,
- foreign policy,
- think tanks,
- government-operated think tanks (GOTT),
- university-affiliated think tanks (UATT),
- text analysis,
- structural topic modelling
Disciplines
Publication Date
2023
Editor
Max Gromping and Jessica Teets
Publisher
University of Michigan Press
Citation Information
Hasmath, R. (2023) “Convergence and Divergence in Policy Topics Among Think Tanks in China”, pp. 87-108 in M. Gromping and J. Teets (eds.), Lobbying the Autocrat: The Dynamics of Policy Advocacy in Non-Democracies. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.