The Regime's New Approach to its Representative Claim in the Digital Era: A Case Study of the "Visit Once" Reform in China

In representation studies, an ongoing debate revolves around whether a non-Western democratic regime can promote representation to win the public's trust and enhance its political legitimacy. Although conventional literature frames this question within the context of legislature-constituency relations, this article broadens the analytical dimension to incorporate a political party's representative claim based on digital connectivity and demand responsiveness. Using the case of China, we explore how a ruling party puts its "people-centered" representative claim into practice through digital technology. Our study focuses on a service reform in Zhejiang province known as the "Visit Once" reform. The Communist Party of China utilizes digital technology to legitimize its "people-centered" claim of representation. Through digital means, the ruling party (representative) better perceives the needs of the people (represented), enabling the provision of government services with more accurate and timely information.