IN this chapter “political participation” refers to any act on the part of the people of Hong Kong to influence policy making in the territory. The author conducted a series of in-depth interviews in the second half of 1995. The hundred or so interviewees included senior government officials; political party leaders; members of the Legislative Council, Urban/Regional Council, and District Boards; leaders of various types of interest groups and grassroots organizations; some members of the Preliminary Working Committee (PWC) of the Preparatory Committee for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Hong Kong Affairs Advisors, and District Affairs Advisors; executives and journalists of the territory's media; and a few academics interested in the subject. A follow-up series of in-depth interviews was conducted in the third quarter of 1996 to update the information and analysis. It covered about one quarter of those interviewed earlier.

The purpose of this research project is to study the political mood of the people of Hong Kong, including how they attempt to articulate their interests, how they assess the performance of the British administration, the political parties, interest groups, and grassroots organizations, and how they define and exercise their options in protecting and promoting their interests. No attempt has been made to quantify the findings of the interviews, although quantitative analysis will be the likely objective in a later stage of the project. Wherever it is possible and relevant, available opinion surveys are used.