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Do College Graduates Serving as Village Officials Help Rural China?

Author

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  • Guojun He

    (Division of Social Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
    Division of Environment, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
    Department of Economics, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

  • Shaoda Wang

    (Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Berkeley)

Abstract

This study estimates the effect of improved bureaucrat quality on poverty alleviation by exploring a unique human capital reallocation policy in China -- the "College Graduate Village Officials" (CGVOs) program. We find that introducing CGVOs into the village governance system improves the targeting and implementation of central government's social assistance programs. CGVOs help eligible poor households understand and apply for relevant subsidies, thus increase the number of pro-poor program beneficiaries. Further analysis suggests that CGVOs improve the quality rather than the quantity of village bureaucrats, and their presence reduces elite capture of pro-poor programs.

Suggested Citation

  • Guojun He & Shaoda Wang, 2016. "Do College Graduates Serving as Village Officials Help Rural China?," HKUST IEMS Working Paper Series 2016-39, HKUST Institute for Emerging Market Studies, revised Nov 2016.
    • Handle: RePEc:hku:wpaper:201639
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    College Graduate Village Officials; Pro-Poor Program; Rural Development; Rural Governance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • H83 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Public Administration
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • P25 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
    • P26 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Property Rights

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