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Long Live Keju! The Persistent Effects of China’s Civil Examination System

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  • Ting Chen
  • James Kai-sing Kung
  • Chicheng Ma

Abstract

China's civil examination system (keju), an incredibly long-lived institution, has a persistent impact on human capital outcomes today. Using the variation in the density of jinshi—the highest qualification—across 278 Chinese prefectures in the Ming-Qing period (c. 1368–1905) to proxy for this effect, we find that a doubling of jinshi per 10,000 population leads to an 8.5% increase in years of schooling in 2010. The persistent effect of keju can be attributed to a multitude of channels including cultural transmission, educational infrastructure, social capital and, to a lesser extent, political elites.

Suggested Citation

  • Ting Chen & James Kai-sing Kung & Chicheng Ma, 2020. "Long Live Keju! The Persistent Effects of China’s Civil Examination System," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 130(631), pages 2030-2064.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:econjl:v:130:y:2020:i:631:p:2030-2064.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/ej/ueaa043
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