Perceptual Divided Leviathan and the Modes of Political Participation in China*

How do Chinese citizens strategize their political participation in the decentralized authoritarian regime? Going beyond the conventional focus on the volume of overall or a specific type of participation, this article focuses on citizens' varying degrees of participation across a range of political activities. It considers the perceived Chinese divided leviathan as a crucial cognitive shortcut for ordinary citizens to assess the uncertain activism environment, estimate the relative costs and benefits of different political activities, and strategize their participation portfolios. Using nationally representative survey data, the article exploits latent class analysis to uncover four distinct mass participatory modes—outsiders, conventionals, agitators, and activists—and examines the impact of perceptual government trustworthiness and integrity on modal transition. The empirical results reveal that citizens' perceptions of a division between the central and local government affect their choice of participatory activities but not their overall participation levels: people who perceive a greater integrity division tend to engage the state in an agitative and contentious mode, and are less likely to do so in an institutionalized, conventional mode. By detecting latent participatory modes and one important underlying psychological rationale, the article contributes to understanding political participation and state-society relations in China.