Spatial Configurations, Factor Combinations and Grassroots Willingness for Democratic Participation: A QCA of China's Experience

Spatial Configurations, Factor Combinations and Grassroots Willingness for Democratic Participation: A QCA of China's Experience

Political participation serves as a key catalyst for democratic innovation with various factors influencing citizens' willingness to engage, many of which relate to the concept of “space”. Existing research acknowledges political participation as a fundamental concept of democracy in China. This paper addresses the central question: what combinations of spatial factors drive grassroots democratic participation in China? Utilizing the fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fs/QCA) approach, this study examines how the interplay of seven spatial conditions fosters grassroots popular participation. This analysis focuses on the grassroots space of NPC deputies' contact stations in China. The findings reveal that (1) three distinct spatial configuration paths that drive the existence of grassroots people's willingness to participate; (2) a degree of substitutability exists among three types of conditional variables; and (3) these three configuration paths provide actionable insights for constructing future grassroots democratic spaces in China.