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Sustainable Legitimacy: Chinese Government Inspections and Public Approval of Village Leadership

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  • Jinrui Xi

    (School of International Studies, Academy of Overseas Chinese Studies, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China)

Abstract

Inspections to villages are an important mechanism for the Chinese government to gain and retain its ruling legitimacy. However, whether inspections have been effectively utilized for that designated purpose of sustainable governance remains less clear. We know very little about how the Chinese government employs inspections to boost its public approval. This study sets out to examine that effect, contending that inspections to Chinese villages significantly boost the public approval of village leaderships by promoting the governing efficacy of village leaders. The consistent practice of inspections results in a sustained level of public support for the Chinese government. This causal relationship between inspections and public approval holds, first, by improving village social welfare and economic development, and second, by securing for village leaders essential political and financial support from higher authorities to better represent villagers’ interests and mediate conflicts among villagers. Using data of 961 randomly selected villages across China, the empirical analysis shows that Chinese government inspections significantly boost villagers’ approval regarding their village leaders.

Suggested Citation

  • Jinrui Xi, 2018. "Sustainable Legitimacy: Chinese Government Inspections and Public Approval of Village Leadership," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-20, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:6:p:1975-:d:152126
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gerschewski, Johannes, 2013. "The three pillars of stability: legitimation, repression, and co-optation in autocratic regimes," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 20(1), pages 13-38.
    2. Cai, Yongshun, 2008. "Power Structure and Regime Resilience: Contentious Politics in China," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 38(3), pages 411-432, July.
    3. Wang, Shuna & Yao, Yang, 2007. "Grassroots Democracy and Local Governance: Evidence from Rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(10), pages 1635-1649, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jinrui Xi & Feng Wen, 2019. "Sustainable Rural Governance: How Rural Elections in China Lead to Long-Term Social Stability?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-13, November.

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