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The Factors that Shape Chinese Officials’ Political Attitudes: An Experimental Intergenerational Approach

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Abstract

This research delves into the dynamics of officials’ attitudes toward the Communist Party of China (CPC), examining the joint impact of parental political identity and political norms. A novel experimental survey conducted in provincial CPC schools is the foundation of our analysis. Employing statistical methodologies, including the Difference-in-Differences and Propensity Score Matching models, we establish compelling empirical insights: having parents who are CPC members exerts a distinct and significant adverse influence on officials’ political attitudes, underscoring the significance of familial affiliations. The proportion of parental Party membership reveals a nuanced U-shaped trajectory in shaping officials’ political attitudes concerning their years of service. However, political pressure emerges as a potent force that significantly shapes officials’ responses to sensitive inquiries, aligning them more closely with CPC values and diminishing the impact of parents with CPC membership on officials’ political attitudes. Meanwhile, the impact of fathers’ CPC membership on officials’ political attitudes is greater than that of the mothers.” This investigation contributes significantly to understanding the connections between parental political affiliations, political pressure, and officials’ political attitudes within the CPC organizational context. Our findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying political attitude dynamics and reveal differences in responses to sensitive questions across social surveys.

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Funding

This research was supported by the national social science foundation in China (22&ZD028).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chinese Institute for Public Governance Research, Beijing, China

    Leizhen Zang

  2. The College of Humanities and Development Studies, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China

    Leizhen Zang & Qiongyu Zhang

  3. Institute of State Governance, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Leizhen Zang

  4. School of Economics and Management, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China

    Feng Xiong

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  1. Leizhen Zang
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Correspondence to Leizhen Zang.

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Zang, L., Xiong, F. & Zhang, Q. The Factors that Shape Chinese Officials’ Political Attitudes: An Experimental Intergenerational Approach. J OF CHIN POLIT SCI (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11366-023-09880-0

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