(iPoster) Overseas Study and Support for Democracy: Evidence from Chinese Students Abroad

• In Event: Poster Sessions: Participation and Representation & Democracy and Autocracy II
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Democracy and Autocracy II

Abstract

Do individuals from authoritarian regimes become more supportive of democracy when they study in democratic countries? The prevailing view in the literature holds that exposure to democratic institutions and norms fosters pro-democratic attitudes among those who are directly exposed to them. However, individual-level tests of this exposure thesis are lacking. This paper challenges the assumption that exposure alone changes political preferences. I argue that international education promotes support for democracy only when students perceive democratic systems as more effective in addressing social and economic problems. When perceived performance is low, exposure may produce little attitudinal change or even reinforce existing regime support. I test this argument using an original online survey of Chinese international students across twelve democratic host countries, comparing prospective students with those who have studied abroad for at least one year. The results reveal no systematic difference in democratic support between the two groups. I also find strong associations between perceived governance performance by hosting democracies and democratic attitudes. These findings clarify the individual-level mechanisms linking international education to democratization and highlight the limits of political socialization through exposure to democratic environments.

Author

• Muyao Hang, University of Pittsburgh