Overview

This book investigates the case of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of People’s Republic of China, mapping the changing patterns of political-administrative relations affected by the sovereignty change and structural reforms. It identifies the conditions that account for the varied political-administrative relations resulting from these changes, and develops an analytical framework that integrates and adapts theories and models from Western contexts to explain varied political-administrative relations in Hong Kong policymaking. The book tests its hypotheses through a qualitative comparative analysis of 18 cases occurring during the period of 1997–2012. It also conducts a comparative case analysis, which identified alternative causal conditions that were missing in the original framework. The book concludes that civil servants no longer dominate policymaking in Hong Kong after the regime change and structural reforms. While senior civil servants have sustained influence over policymaking processes through codified rules and political appointment, some of them have adapted to the changes in political environment that require more proactive policy styles and more hierarchical loyalty to the Central People’s Government of China than before. The first-hand interview materials presented in the book provide insights about internal political-administrative dynamics rarely accessible from the public domain. These insights provide inside knowledge of the actors, structure and processes of local policymaking in a context of post-colonial transition, and will be of interest to public administration scholars.

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9781032049182

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"""This book is a tour de force for those who are interested in politico-administrative relations. The research highlights the transition of Hong Kong from a colonial system to a 'proctored' pseudo-democratic country; from a government led by senior civil servants to another governed by a political executive body where ‘insiders’ and 'strangers' à la Heclo alternate. In this new set up, policy advisors, that mediate/interfere with political appointees and civil servants alike, are also accounted for in the encounter between political and administrative rationalities. The book is clearly written and to the point, without delving into digressions that often blur the analytical dimension of qualitative studies. It bundles several theories that help understand the transition of this system. The theories bring together not only different ways to look at the relationships between politicians and civil servants (enhanced principal-agent theory, policy role perception of actors at the top or public service bargains) but also how institutions constrain those relationships (transaction cost theory, social structure theory or new institutionalism, for instance). By using all these theories, Dr. Li proposes that collaborative vs adversarial relations are the result of professional backgrounds, institutional settings, specificities and the salience of policy issues. The writing style of the empirical sections is highly engaging. It offers a sequential account of governments and their imprint on the politico-administrative relations truffled with a rich selection of 18 case studies including but not limited to containing SARs epidemic, authorizing betting on football, describing civil service reform and mandatory nutrition labelling. These mini cases, guided by the theoretical approach and hypotheses laid out at the outset, are enriched by the intensive archival work and more than 100 interviews. Although one could read the chapters in isolation from the rest, I would recommend to follow the book sequence. The temporal account shows the struggles between the pro-democracy camp and the ones defending the status quo against the backdrop of a society immersed in intense economic, social and national identity evolution. Although most interviews used in the book were conducted before 2012, the last chapter deals with the decade thereafter, including the controversy surrounding the highly controversial extradition bill in terms of politico-administrative relationships. Finally, while the book can be read by academics and the general public alike, chapter five, for instance, is more amenable for researchers. Using the Boolean method, Dr. Li refines the expectations and hypotheses established in the first chapter. This is robust research that is also fun to read. Besides an in-depth analysis of the politico-administrative relationships, the text expands the horizon of a wider audience as it offers a nuanced and balanced view of 25 years of recent developments in Hong Kong."" Salvador Parrado, Professor, National University of Distance Learning, UNED, Madrid, Spain."

"""This book highlights the transition of Hong Kong from a government led by senior civil servants to another governed by a political executive body where ‘insiders’ and 'strangers' à la Heclo alternate. […] The writing style of the empirical sections is highly engaging. It offers a sequential account of governments and their imprint on the politico-administrative relations truffled with a rich selection of 18 case studies. These mini cases, guided by the theoretical approach and hypotheses laid out at the outset, are enriched by the intensive archival work and more than 100 interviews."" Salvador Parrado, Professor, National University of Distance Learning, UNED, Madrid, Spain."

Author Information

Wei Li is an Associate Professor at the College of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. She obtained BA in Chinese literature and MPhil in political economics from Fudan University, and PhD in comparative politics and public administration from the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include politics-administration dichotomy, expert-policy interaction, policy process theories and social innovation.

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