How do citizens navigate authoritarian systems? We introduce a novel framework focusing on 'public transcripts' — everyday interactions between ordinary people and political authorities.
### Data & Methods
* Analyzed over eight thousand citizen appeals to local officials in contemporary China.
* Examined communication patterns as strategic performances aimed at state actors.
### Key Findings
* Identified three distinct ideal-type scripts of citizenship:
* Subjecthood: citizens positioning themselves as subordinates seeking benevolent aid.
* Authoritarian Legal Citizenship: appeals leveraging formal legal structures and commitments.
* Socialist Citizenship: strategies invoking officials' moral obligation for collective welfare.
### Why China Matters
* These diverse approaches coexist within a single authoritarian state, challenging simple regime-based categorizations.
* The framework demonstrates that understanding citizenship requires examining how citizens strategically communicate with political elites to elicit assistance.
| Performing Authoritarian Citizenship: Public Transcripts in China was authored by Greg Distelhorst and Diana Fu. It was published by Cambridge in POP in 2019. |
