Superposition Type System Innovation:the Internal Mechanism Of Local Government Innovation In China

System innovation is an important way for governments at all levels to respond to the challenges of governance. There are two kinds of views on the innovation of government system in the field of social management. One is the "Demonstration" innovation led by the central government, and the other is the experience-based innovation from the local government. However, through this study, we find these two models can not explain all the government innovation practice mechanism. The inference of the former study about the local government "adoption" innovation is mechanically and theoretically, and the latter exaggerate the initiative of local government innovation. And both studies are at the macro level to observe the system innovation in the prefecture-level administrative units, ignoring the process of system innovation and evolution within the different levels of government in a city.Through the case study of "Grid management system" innovation in Shanghai, this paper found that:The lower lever government is not simply "copy" the "alien" system innovation which is the objective of the upper level of government within a city, but showing a "Superposition innovation" process and results in the interaction of different levels of government in the upper and lower:(1)The adoption and diffusion of system:The upper level government adopts the "outside" system under the influence of internal and external pressure, and the authoritarianism and the all-round government make the innovation begin horizontal and vertical diffusion; (2) The innovation of the lower government:The territorial issues faced by subordinate governments and the performance demands of government leaders make it to seek new innovation;(3) The upper government upgrade the innovation:the new innovation was upwards by of lower-level government actors which is the Performance-oriented; then the higher-level leaders adopt the innovation by the informal and formal forms.