Title: Is China a dictatorship? - The Washington Post
Headings: Mike Bloomberg said China isn’t a dictatorship. Is he right?
Mike Bloomberg said China isn’t a dictatorship. Is he right?
The Communist Party does listen to the people — sometimes
China’s CCP does listen to the people — as long as they aren’t independent-minded
China is still a dictatorship
And China is likely to remain a dictatorship

Content: Now that the former mayor has entered the presidential contest, comments like this are coming back to haunt him. But does Bloomberg have a point? Here’s what you need to know. Support our journalism. Subscribe today. arrow-right
China’s CCP does listen to the people — as long as they aren’t independent-minded
Bloomberg is right in one regard. The CCP has a big stake in learning what the Chinese public thinks and providing some of what it wants. The government encourages Chinese citizens to monitor local officials, file complaints and even provide input in policy planning. In a recent book on Chinese governance, my co-authors and I document how these limited forms of public engagement can help reduce corruption and improve compliance with regulations. Advertisement
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Other studies confirm that the Chinese government desires some measure of civil society, and is surprisingly receptive to public input — and even some well-intentioned criticism.