We provide the first empirical assessment of commenter influence during the rule development stage of administrative rulemaking. We argue that public com-menters play a critical agenda-setting role during rule development. To test this proposition, we analyze data from 36 Department of...

This paper examines the potential role of civic environmental NGOs in China's democratisation. Based on interviews with 31 NGO officials, the paper examines the origins, structures, and functions of civic environmental NGOs in China. It also examines how various political and resource...