The Distribution of Authority in Authoritarian Regimes: Is Earmarked Central-to-Provincial Transfer Payment an Effective Tool in Shaping Provincial Governments’ Behavior in China?

• In Event: Patronage and Central-Local Relations in China

Brief Overview

Earmarked transfer payments since 2016 drove sharp increases in China's provincial higher education spending, with the Western region surging ahead. This research illuminates how fiscal design influences subnational behavior in authoritarian regimes.

Author

• Sijie Liu, University of Oregon