Redefining the Performance Legitimacy? Pollution and Popular Support in China

• In Event: The Political Economy of Environment in China and Russia

Abstract

The citizens’ assessment of government performance in China has long been regarded as a key determinant of their political support. The Chinese government has thus made efforts to improve its performance in several policy areas, such as fighting air pollution. However, it is unclear how ordinary Chinese assess these efforts and then render their support to the regime based. Few empirical research has covered the full mechanism of the impact of performance on regime support. This gap in turn leaves uncertainty about the relationship between the subjective assessment of government’s efforts and objective indicators of air pollution and hence about the impact of the efforts on regime support. In this study, we conduct a causal mediation analysis to test the performance-based explanations of regime support in China. Specifically, integrating remote sensing data (i.e., PM2.5) and a nationwide survey on air pollution in China, we explore how ordinary Chinese evaluate the severity of air pollution and render their support to local and central authorities.

Authors

• Narisong Huhe, University of Strathclyde

• Jie Chen, James Madison University