This paper examines how experts exert influence within China's one-party system, where policymaking is ideologically disciplined and knowledge-intensive. It combines the Functional Theory of Agency, which identifies patterns of action including accumulation of knowledge, brokerage, entrepreneurship, and leadership, with a typology of four expert configurations-near-power, academic, market-oriented, and Societal experts-to explain differences in institutional embeddedness and resource base. The paper argues that these configurations operate under conditions of conditional autonomy; expert influence becomes possible through alignment with the dominant discursive, temporal and institutional order of the Party-state. Discursive gatekeeping determines which forms of expert agency become feasible and consequential under specific political conditions. This argument is illustrated using Caoyang New Village renewal project in Shanghai, a high-salience planning case where discursive framing, safety and stability boundaries, and political timing activate and constrain expert roles. Near-power experts perform leadership and intra-bureau brokerage, while academic experts broker and selectively pursue entrepreneurship. Market-oriented experts advance entrepreneurship and project-level leadership, while Societal experts engage in brokerage and collective leadership, pursuing micro-entrepreneurship within tacitly tolerated boundaries. The paper's contribution is to demonstrate that political control does not merely suppress expertise but differentiates and organizes expert agency into distinct, policy-relevant forms.(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"((sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic))(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)-(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)","(sic)(sic)(sic)","(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)-(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic);(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)."(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic);(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)."(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic);"(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic);"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic);(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).Este art & iacute;culo examina c & oacute;mo los expertos ejercen influencia dentro del sistema unipartidista de China, donde la formulaci & oacute;n de pol & iacute;ticas est & aacute; ideol & oacute;gicamente disciplinada y se basa en un alto nivel de conocimiento. Combina la Teor & iacute;a Funcional de la Agencia, que identifica patrones de acci & oacute;n como la acumulaci & oacute;n de conocimiento, la intermediaci & oacute;n, el emprendimiento y el liderazgo, con una tipolog & iacute;a de cuatro configuraciones de expertos -expertos cercanos al poder, acad & eacute;micos, orientados al mercado y sociales- para explicar las diferencias en la integraci & oacute;n institucional y la base de recursos. El art & iacute;culo sostiene que estas configuraciones operan bajo condiciones de autonom & iacute;a condicional; la influencia de los expertos se hace posible mediante la alineaci & oacute;n con el orden discursivo, temporal e institucional dominante del Partido-Estado. El control discursivo determina qu & eacute; formas de agencia experta se vuelven factibles y relevantes bajo condiciones pol & iacute;ticas espec & iacute;ficas. Este argumento se ilustra con el proyecto de renovaci & oacute;n de la Nueva Aldea de Caoyang en Shangh & aacute;i, un caso de planificaci & oacute;n de gran relevancia donde el marco discursivo, los l & iacute;mites de seguridad y estabilidad, y el momento pol & iacute;tico activan y restringen los roles de los expertos. Los expertos cercanos al poder ejercen liderazgo e intermediaci & oacute;n dentro de la administraci & oacute;n p & uacute;blica, mientras que los expertos acad & eacute;micos intermedian y buscan selectivamente el emprendimiento. Los expertos orientados al mercado promueven el emprendimiento y el liderazgo a nivel de proyecto, mientras que los expertos sociales se dedican a la intermediaci & oacute;n y el liderazgo colectivo, impulsando el microemprendimiento dentro de l & iacute;mites t & aacute;citamente tolerados. La contribuci & oacute;n de este art & iacute;culo radica en demostrar que el control pol & iacute;tico no solo suprime la experiencia, sino que la diferencia y organiza en formas distintas y relevantes para las pol & iacute;ticas p & uacute;blicas.
Capano, G., Guo, Y. (2026). Conditional Autonomy, Discursive Gatekeeping, and Patterns of Action: How Experts Influence Policy in China's One‐Party System. POLICY STUDIES JOURNAL, 54(3), 1-17 [10.1111/psj.70151].
Conditional Autonomy, Discursive Gatekeeping, and Patterns of Action: How Experts Influence Policy in China's One‐Party System
Capano, Giliberto;
2026
Abstract
This paper examines how experts exert influence within China's one-party system, where policymaking is ideologically disciplined and knowledge-intensive. It combines the Functional Theory of Agency, which identifies patterns of action including accumulation of knowledge, brokerage, entrepreneurship, and leadership, with a typology of four expert configurations-near-power, academic, market-oriented, and Societal experts-to explain differences in institutional embeddedness and resource base. The paper argues that these configurations operate under conditions of conditional autonomy; expert influence becomes possible through alignment with the dominant discursive, temporal and institutional order of the Party-state. Discursive gatekeeping determines which forms of expert agency become feasible and consequential under specific political conditions. This argument is illustrated using Caoyang New Village renewal project in Shanghai, a high-salience planning case where discursive framing, safety and stability boundaries, and political timing activate and constrain expert roles. Near-power experts perform leadership and intra-bureau brokerage, while academic experts broker and selectively pursue entrepreneurship. Market-oriented experts advance entrepreneurship and project-level leadership, while Societal experts engage in brokerage and collective leadership, pursuing micro-entrepreneurship within tacitly tolerated boundaries. The paper's contribution is to demonstrate that political control does not merely suppress expertise but differentiates and organizes expert agency into distinct, policy-relevant forms.(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"((sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic))(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)-(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)","(sic)(sic)(sic)","(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)-(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic);(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)."(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic);(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)."(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic);"(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic);"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic);(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)"(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).Este art & iacute;culo examina c & oacute;mo los expertos ejercen influencia dentro del sistema unipartidista de China, donde la formulaci & oacute;n de pol & iacute;ticas est & aacute; ideol & oacute;gicamente disciplinada y se basa en un alto nivel de conocimiento. Combina la Teor & iacute;a Funcional de la Agencia, que identifica patrones de acci & oacute;n como la acumulaci & oacute;n de conocimiento, la intermediaci & oacute;n, el emprendimiento y el liderazgo, con una tipolog & iacute;a de cuatro configuraciones de expertos -expertos cercanos al poder, acad & eacute;micos, orientados al mercado y sociales- para explicar las diferencias en la integraci & oacute;n institucional y la base de recursos. El art & iacute;culo sostiene que estas configuraciones operan bajo condiciones de autonom & iacute;a condicional; la influencia de los expertos se hace posible mediante la alineaci & oacute;n con el orden discursivo, temporal e institucional dominante del Partido-Estado. El control discursivo determina qu & eacute; formas de agencia experta se vuelven factibles y relevantes bajo condiciones pol & iacute;ticas espec & iacute;ficas. Este argumento se ilustra con el proyecto de renovaci & oacute;n de la Nueva Aldea de Caoyang en Shangh & aacute;i, un caso de planificaci & oacute;n de gran relevancia donde el marco discursivo, los l & iacute;mites de seguridad y estabilidad, y el momento pol & iacute;tico activan y restringen los roles de los expertos. Los expertos cercanos al poder ejercen liderazgo e intermediaci & oacute;n dentro de la administraci & oacute;n p & uacute;blica, mientras que los expertos acad & eacute;micos intermedian y buscan selectivamente el emprendimiento. Los expertos orientados al mercado promueven el emprendimiento y el liderazgo a nivel de proyecto, mientras que los expertos sociales se dedican a la intermediaci & oacute;n y el liderazgo colectivo, impulsando el microemprendimiento dentro de l & iacute;mites t & aacute;citamente tolerados. La contribuci & oacute;n de este art & iacute;culo radica en demostrar que el control pol & iacute;tico no solo suprime la experiencia, sino que la diferencia y organiza en formas distintas y relevantes para las pol & iacute;ticas p & uacute;blicas.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
