An empirical study of “public security centralism” in modern China and its legal and political ramifications

China's public security and Western police differ significantly in their approaches to law enforcement, administrative power, and institutional structure. The former operates within a centralized and hierarchical framework and is characterized by extensive powers. In this article, we examine the impact of the “Cracking Down Illegal Cards” campaign on judicial decisions initiated and led by the highest-level organization of China's public security authorities, the Ministry of Public Security. The findings reveal an increase in convictions and a rise in judicial arbitrariness resulting from this campaign. This underscores the importance of comprehending China's political-legal system and proposes ways to improve the role of public security in social management.