| ID | 144540 |
| Title Proper | Reassessing trust in the central government |
| Other Title Information | evidence from five national surveys |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Li, Lianjiang |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | This paper argues that popular trust in the Chinese central government is significantly weaker than five national surveys suggest. The evidence comes from these surveys. First, the surveys show that between one- and two-thirds of respondents hold hierarchical trust, i.e. they have more trust in the central government than they do in local government. Second, all other things being equal, people who are less satisfied with political democracy in China tend to be less trusting of the central government. Finally, hierarchical trust holders tend to be less satisfied with political democracy in the country than those who express equal trust for central and local governments. Put together, the three findings show that hierarchical trust holders are less trusting of the central government than equal trust holders with regard to developing political democracy, although they sound equally confident. The fact that so many respondents hold hierarchical trust indicates that trust in the central government is significantly weaker than it looks. |
| `In' analytical Note | China Quarterly ,No. 225; Mar 2016: p.100-121 |
| Journal Source | China Quarterly No 225 |
| Key Words | China ; Political Trust ; Authoritarian Resilience ; Hierarchical Trust ; Trust In The Central Government ; Integrated Measurement Of Trust |