Examining Chinese Charitable Giving Under State Intervention: A Political Participation Perspective

Abstract

While it is prominent for governments across the globe to promote charitable giving, few governments directly intervene in charitable fundraising due to ethical and political risks. An exception is the Chinese government that has actively sought private donations. Using a national dataset of Chinese giving, this study explores from a general political participation perspective how individuals responded to different levels of state intervention in private charity. It finds that people made (a) voluntary donations (little state intervention) in relation to their social involvement and civic engagement, (b) suggested donations (e.g., the state called for donations) in relation to their civic participation and formal political participation, and (c) coerced donations (e.g., the state demanded donations) in relation to their personal bonds with the state. Thus, while appropriate state intervention seems productive, undue intervention may damage both charity and state legitimacy. Implications and suggestions for future research are included.

What Matters for Charitable Donations Under Authoritarianism? An Examination of Organizational Legitimacy and Political Connections

“…Those cases are prevalent rather than sporadic (L. Feng & Zhang, 2014). 3 Drawing data from the 2012 Chinese General Social Survey, Hu and Kong (2021) found that in comparison with people working in the private sector, employees salaried by the state and state-owned enterprises were more likely to donate when the donation was either suggested or coerced by government and less likely to donate when the donation was voluntary.…”