But as China’s society progressively emancipated itself from direct state control – with the notable exception of sectors viewed by the CPC as crucial to maintaining its monopoly on power – citizens increasingly appealed to the law for protection against arbitrary administrative interference and to limit the bureaucracy’s discretionary powers. In turn, the government encouraged the idea that ordinary citizens had legal rights as a way to ensure social stability, check petty corruption, and channel social grievances through a party-controlled mechanism.