Nothing but symbolic: Chinese new authoritarianism, smart government, and the challenge of multi-level governance

This study investigates the impact of Chinese new authoritarian principles on the approach to multi-level governance that China has implemented during the national transition to smart government. Employing a case study analysis, we illustrate the phenomenon of symbolic compliance, where sub-national public and private actors comply with state-level mandates but while being aware that their actions will fall short of achieving the desired improvements. This behavior, hitherto undocumented in the literature, contributes to the implementation of data-driven public service management solutions that inadequately address local governmental issues. Our findings prompt a re-evaluation of multi-level governance theory and practice in new authoritarian settings and underscore the need for a more pragmatic approach to smart government transitions in such contexts.