Can Blue Sky Garner Public Support? Mass Feedback Effect of Differentiated Environmental Regulation Implementations

• In Event: Politics of Regulation

Abstract

Policy implementation is crucial for shaping public attitudes, policy support, and political behavior. However, current research on policy feedback theory has not adequately examined how differentiated policy implementation affects mass politics, especially when policies target ambiguous groups. This is particularly evident in environmental policies, where many countries prioritize regulatory measures to improve environmental conditions, often imposing uneven and significant policy costs on citizens.
To explore these effects, we focus on China’s War on Pollution. China has implemented distinct anti-pollution measures in urban and rural areas, as well as in the private and residential sectors. The establishment of a large-scale air pollution monitoring network has led to differentiated policy implementations by local governments, especially in response to performance disclosures. This allows us to examine the causal effects of these policies on different groups.
Using a unique village-level dataset combining satellite and survey data over a decade, we apply a multiple-periods difference-in-differences model. Our results show that China’s environmental policies have increased public support and political trust but decreased political participation. These differences are driven by urban-rural disparities. Urban residents, receiving more policy benefits, exhibit higher policy support and political trust but lower political participation. Conversely, rural residents, bearing more regulatory costs, have reduced support and trust in local governments but increased political participation, particularly in elections.
Our analysis reveals that urban residents benefit more from reduced health risks, improved infrastructure, and no significant income or job losses, while rural residents face higher regulatory costs like labor increases and clean energy expenses. Rural residents also show higher political participation due to conflicts with local officials.
This study contributes to the literature on mass policy feedback by providing evidence of policy effects under conditions of individual interest loss. It highlights the importance of distributional equity in environmental policy design and its political impact.

Author

• YIQI TANG, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
  Presenting Author