Higher-level Impetus,Attention Allocation and Policy Diffusion Patterns in China:A Comparative Case Study
Policy diffusion patterns are intrinsically shaped by the institutional context.Prevailing studies have typically conceived policy diffusion as a process of incremental policy learning aimed at mitigating uncertainty,often depicted by the classic S-shaped diffusion curve to characterize its progressive nature.Recent developments in certain Chinese local governance practices,however,have revealed a stark compression in the timespan of innovation diffusion,alongside an evident trend of explosive dissemination.This rapid and widespread diffusion process manifests a two-phased,non-incremental pattern,characterized by R-shaped or inverse R-shaped diffusion curves.This research posits that the non-incremental diffusion pattern is redefining the landscape of China's policy diffusion and that a comprehensive understanding must integrate both incremental and non-incremental paradigms.To date,the systematic exploration of non-incremental diffusion phenomena within the Chinese context remains scant.Thus,this study aims to dissect the parallels and divergences between policy outbreaks and the traditional incremental diffusion model,seeking to unearth the underlying causes and dynamics of these disparate diffusion patterns.Employing the"Attention-based View"methodology,which adheres to the"Situation-Process-Result"logic,this study proposes an analytical framework for China's policy diffusion trajectory,propelled by the allocation of attention.It contends that the process of policy outbreaks in China,typically following a route from"local-level innovative initiative"to"central government adoption and promotion",and then to"local-level adoption",is fundamentally driven by inter-governmental attention allocation.Within the Chinese context,"higher-level impetus"serves as the pivotal stimulus for marshaling local attention and functions as an inter-governmental attention allocation mechanism.The study delineates the evolutionary path where the competitive construction of innovation performance captivates and retains elite attention on specific issues.The vertical transmission of this focused attention triggered by"higher-level impetus",catalyzes the reallocation and concentration of local attention,culminating in the intensive setting and decision-making processes for local policy adoption,thus completing a full cycle of policy outbreak.Functionally,higher-level impetus fortifies vertical constraints and incentives,bolsters the political legitimacy and salience of the originating innovation,widens the policy mobilization and communication network,and constructs essential coordination entities for consultation and resource allocation.By examining the diffusion trajectories of three emblematic cases and through comparative cross-case analysis,the study illuminates the varied nature and structure of"higher-level impetus"strategies.Given their distinct"political potential",the promptness and focus of local policy adoption and agenda-setting exhibit considerable variability.In China,the central government's higher-level impetus effectively presses the"fast-forward button"on policy diffusion,inducing an"acceleration effect".The ensuing"adoption-promotion"dynamic,catalyzed by this impetus,serves as a pivotal agent for large-scale policy diffusion.Concurrently,the inherent structural differences in the"political potential"of various higher-level impetus strategies delineate the initiation and pace of this acceleration,ultimately yielding distinct policy diffusion patterns that are either incremental or non-incremental.
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