Dividing or Uniting: Stratified Social Welfare Provision and Generalized Trust in China

• In Event: 41021 - Student Forum Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Roundtable 3: The Political Economy of China

Abstract

Political institutions play a central role in shaping social environments, influencing how individuals interact and form trust in unfamiliar others. Despite the significance of this process, limited research has examined the impact of China's stratified social welfare system on generalized trust. Using data from the 2012-2020 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) and logistic regression models, this study finds that individuals with social insurance exhibit significantly higher levels of generalized trust compared to those without coverage. More specifically, individuals with employment-based insurance report significantly greater generalized trust than those with resident insurance. Additionally, social insurance has a substantial positive effect on the generalized trust of disadvantaged groups—such as agricultural household holders and employees in the non-public sector—while exerting minimal influence on advantaged groups. These findings underscore how stratified social welfare provision influences generalized trust.

Author

• Wendi Xue, University of Chicago