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Policy Experimentation as Communication with the Public: Social Policy, Shared Responsibility and Regime Support in China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2023

Xufeng Zhu Open the ORCID record for Xufeng Zhu [Opens in a new window]  and
Yan Wang
Xufeng Zhu*
Affiliation:
School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Yan Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Social Statistics, Manchester University, Manchester, UK
*
Corresponding author: Xufeng Zhu; Email: zhuxufeng@tsinghua.edu.cn
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Abstract

Research on policy experimentation has mainly focused on central–local relations; scholars have paid little attention to the interaction between policy experimentation and the public. We argue that policy experimentation can be used by decision makers as an instrument to communicate with the public, facilitating the building of a social consensus regarding controversial policies. We evaluate the effects of the Chinese government's policy experimentation efforts to promote shared responsibility between the state and individuals for the urban pension system on the public's regime support. Evidence from two rounds of a nationwide survey conducted before and after the policy experiment indicates that the policy experimentation has significantly contributed to citizens’ acceptance of their individual welfare responsibility. Moreover, the image-building of governmental responsibility via official news, with varied intensity across regions, consolidates the political trust of residents while posing a challenge to local government credibility in the long run.

摘要

摘要

政策试验的理论传统主要关注中央和地方政府之间的关系。然而，学者们很少关注政策试验与公众之间的互动。我们指出，政策试验可以被决策者用来作为一种与公众进行沟通的工具，帮助在有争议的政策领域建立社会共识。本文评估了中国政府利用政策试验在推动国家和个人对城市养老金共同责任承担方面的效应，以及政策试验对公众的政治信任的影响。两轮全国调查的证据表明，政策试验的实施显著促进了公众对于福利责任在个人承担方面的接受程度。此外，地方政府试图通过官方新闻在不同地区采取不同强度的形象塑造的努力，虽然能够在短期内巩固公众的政治信任，但从长远来看可能会对地方政府的信誉构成挑战。

Keywords

policy experimentationpension policy reformwelfare responsibilitypolitical supportChina政策试验养老政策改革福利责任政治信任中国
Type
Research Article
Information
The China Quarterly , Volume 258 , June 2024 , pp. 400 - 422
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of SOAS University of London

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