The Diffusion Logic Of Policy Innovation In National Community Governance Pilot

The pilot is a unique policy innovation mechanism in China.As a basic system,the pilot is widely distributed in the policy practice of all levels and regions in China.The steady progress of policy innovation with the policy pilot is an important experience in Chinese policy process.The National Community Governance and Service Innovation Experimental Area launched by the Ministry of Civil Affairs is the pilot practice and policy innovation of the central government in the field of community.Since 2011,83 community governance experimental areas have been established nationwide.These experimental areas have played an important role in solving community construction problems,exploring effective community governance models,and promoting policy innovation in the area of community governance.So in this policy practice,how can policy pilots promote the diffusion of policy innovation?What is the internal logic of its occurrence?This is the core research question that this article is most concerned about.This paper mainly uses the Crisp-Sets Qualitative Comparative Analysis method(csQCA)to identify the condition variables and their path combinations that affect policy diffusion,analyzes the internal logic of pilots to promote policy innovation in the community field,and refines the practical implications.This article establishes cases database of the third batch of National Community Governance and Service Innovation Experimental Area case sample databases.Through review of case materials and related theories,based on the perspective of the policy process of policy pilot studies,this article builds seven condition variables from the central government,pilot areas and non-pilot areas,namely“per capita GDP,grass-roots organization construction,linkage between communities,social organizations and social workers,autonomous consultation of residents,service system optimization,central media reports,and proximity effects",with "diffusion of innovation" as a result variables The results show that the per capita GDP of the pilots has little impact on the generation of policy innovations;the experimental schemes in the pilot are important variables to promote policy diffusion,especially when the content of the schemes includes "linkage between communities,social organizations and social workers" and "service system innovation";although the experimental scheme of the policy pilot is important,it cannot constitute the necessary conditions for the outcome variables.The process of policy innovation implies a more complex mechanism.Central media reports and proximity effects promote diffusion of innovation.Finally,when the pilot scheme,central media reports,and proximity effects work together,this path combination can better explain the internal mechanism of diffusion of innovation promoted by pilot.Combining the above analysis,we can try to answer the inherent logic of diffusion of innovation.First,local economic development does not necessarily promote innovation in community pilots;second,when the pilot scheme fits the central concern and contains "optional actions",it will promote policy diffusion;third,the central media reports could promote the widespread dissemination of pilot information,stimulates a local competition atmosphere,and promotes policy innovation in the pilot areas by capturing attention of pilot regions,non-pilots and superior governments.Finally,the proximity effect of diffusion of innovation in the community governance experimental area is very obvious.It will enhance the possibility of diffusion in the field of community governance.To promote the diffusion of innovation of the pilot,we can extract valuable revelation from the process of the experimental area work carried out by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.Revelation are as follows.Central government should balance the distribution of the pilots;the design of the pilot plan should fully reflect the concern of central government and include "optional action" innovations;the pilot inspection should contain expert assessment,mid-term evaluation,and evaluation index design;finally superior government should promote policy learning in non-pilot areas with a variety of incentives.