Chinese rate government ‘more capable than ever before’, long-term Harvard study finds
- Surveys of more 31,000 people from 2003 to 2016 show a swell of support for the ruling Communist Party
- But report authors say slowing economic growth could dent public opinion
Chinese citizens’ satisfaction with the government improved overall from 2003 to 2016, but slowing economic growth since then could dent public opinion, according to a Harvard University study.
Findings of the long-term study were released last week, and showed a swell of support for the ruling Communist Party in that period.
“From the impact of broad national policies to the conduct of local town officials, Chinese citizens rate the government as more capable and effective than ever before,” authors Edward Cunningham, Tony Saich and Jessie Turiel, from the Roy and Lila Ash Centre for Democratic Governance and Innovation, wrote in the report.
Their study was based on data from eight separate surveys, including face-to-face interviews, conducted between 2003 and 2016. It involved more than 31,000 Chinese in both urban and rural areas. The surveys were designed by the Ash Centre at the Harvard Kennedy School, and carried out by a “reputable domestic Chinese polling firm”, the report said, without elaborating.
The authors described the study as “the longest-running independent effort to track citizen approval with all four levels of the Chinese government”.
