“Harmonious Society” in Action - Tools the Chinese Communist Party is Using to Mitigate Socio-economic Tensions, Derek Liu

Derek Liu examines what drives the provision of social welfare in China. He argues that the central authorities are able to use promotion as a mechanism to shape policy at the local level despite decentralization. Ambitious provincial officials—those who seek to advance their careers to the top levels—comply with central government mandates and increase social spending in order to impress Beijing and increase their chances for promotion. Officials who are more interested in provincial or municipal careers, however, prefer to spend money on economic projects tied to their business partners. Liu’s presentation draws on novel data sources, including expenditures on “dining and entertaining,” as well as more than one hundred interviews with officials. Liu’s work is based on fourteen months in the field.

Click here to view Christina Chen's presentation on "Harmonious Society" in Action..

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