Behind the Great Firewall: The Internet and Democratization in China.

Abstract

The Internet has changed China profoundly. For the government, the Internet offers prospects to develop economics, education, and technology. For the public, the Internet provides unprecedented opportunities for the free flow of information and communication. Many believe that the Internet will ultimately bring democracy to China, one of the few Communist countries remaining in the world. Relying on multiple methods, including secondary analysis, survey, and in-depth interviews, this study is one of the first attempts to systematically understand how the Internet has been adopted in China, on both provincial and individual levels; and more importantly, how Internet use is associated with people’s real world political lives. Ultimately, this research tries to understand if the Internet could bring a fundamental change in political system to China, and if so, how and when. This research concludes that the Internet is unlikely to offer democratic hope for China, at least not in the near future. Since the Internet is not developed universally, and only a small portion of users are employing it for political activities due to individual characteristics and people’s perceptions of Internet censorship, the Internet’s mobilizing effects are rather constrained. Moreover, due to the rising nationalistic sentiments, the Chinese public were found to be willing to participate in government supported political activity and avoid protests. Nevertheless, the association between nationalism and political participation became less clear when political Internet use increased.