Integrating Area Experience to Promote Pilots:The Implementation Mechanism of Political Achievements Complementation among Local Governments in Policy Pilots——A Case Study of the"Separation of Three Rights of Homestead"Pilot in M County
How can policy pilots continue to operate in the tension between uncertainty in outcomes and rigidi-ty in local government achievements?Utilizing a comprehensive approach combining content analysis,partici-patory observation,and in-depth interviews,the research tracks the progress of the"separation of three rights of homesteads"reform of rural homesteads in M County,located in central China.As the pilot program pro-gresses,it reveals that the fragmented interests between county and township governments,exacerbated by the weakening of achievement-driven incentives,have led to a growing imbalance between inputs and outputs,re-sulting in an achievements deficit.To mitigate the risks of pilot failure stemming from this deficit,governments leverage the inherent flexibility of the bureaucratic system to adapt the operational trajectory of the pilot.Through a combination of"soft"and"hard"power tactics,they create a"task area"amplifying the pilot effect and eliminating pilot risks,to exchange political achievements.This fosters a shared political achievement re-lationship,enabling the pilot to operate continuously while achieving complementary political gains,ultimately attaining both satisfactory political achievements and stable pilot operations.The behavioral logic of local gov-ernments,which involves achieving complementary political achievements complementation through integrating area experience to promote pilots and enhancing the capacity of pilot spaces,provides a new theoretical per-spective for understanding the sustainable operation of policy pilots in the context of contemporary China.
Policy PilotsIntegrating Area Experience to Promote PilotsPolitical Achievements DeficitPolitical Achievements ExchangePolitical Achievements Complementation