Could Politicization Improve Administrative Effectiveness? Evidence from Party-led Reform of Social Conflict Resolution in X City, China

The Weberian ideal of political-administrative relations posits that administrators should maintain political neutrality in order to ensure administrative effectiveness. However, the chapter challenges this notion and presents an alternative argument proposing that politicization can enhance administrative effectiveness in specific contexts. Using a case study focused on Social Conflict Resolution (SCR) in X City in Central China, we analyze the party-led reform implemented in the process of SCR. This reform involves three key steps: first, the party secretary frames the issues as politically relevant and prioritizes them on the agenda of subordinate leaders; second, the party secretary bypasses formal hierarchical structures by establishing ad hoc working groups and allocating additional administrative resources to the grassroots; third, by promoting digital platforms, the party secretary mobilizes public engagement in these new institutional arrangements. By employing these strategies, the party secretary successfully institutionalizes new political-administrative relations, thereby bolstering administrative effectiveness in resolving social conflicts. However, it is important to acknowledge the inherent limitations of this politicization approach.