Good performance of local governance without democracy? : a case study of a farmers' specialized cooperatives and public goods provision in rural China

Abstract

During the past several decades, the way in which governments provide public goods has changed dramatically with the trend of decentralization. This change however has not brought about the expected outcome. The provision public goods fails too often, especially in developing countries. Although the establishment of a well-functioning democratic system has been proposed as a solution to this puzzle, it is also important to acknowledge the slow process of democratization, especially in rural areas with the largest poor population. This research shows a case study of how a well-established Chinese farmers' cooperative engages local government and embeds local governmental officials in a close social network to encourage these officials to improve the production of public goods in the community.