Traditional Values and Political Trust in China

Abstract

Chinese traditional culture is viewed to sustain political trust in the authoritarian regime. Given that Chinese cultural traditions are complex and multi-dimensional, it is ineffective to deal with this notion by a single index. This study divides Chinese traditional values into a non-political dimension (traditional family and social values) and a political dimension (traditional political values). Then, I empirically test how different dimensions of Chinese cultural traditions shape the ordinary people’s orientations toward their political institutions and government officials. The results show that the impact of traditional values on political trust varies by its different dimensions. Traditional political values and social values are positively correlated with both institutional trust and trust in government officials. Traditional family values are positively correlated with trust in government officials but do not have an effect on institutional trust. Liberal democratic values negatively correlate with trust in government officials, but this effect on institutional trust is not significant.

Diversifying Conspiracy Beliefs and Populist Ideologies in the Chinese Context

“…By distinguishing two subtypes of populism and conspiracy beliefs, and exploring their correlations, this study provides implications for research on public opinion in China, offering a more nuanced picture of Chinese state–society dynamics, and a refinement to understanding the durability of the Chinese regime. Extant literature on China's public political opinions arrives at some contradictory conclusions; while some studies perceive an unprecedented level of challenging and dissenting voices among Chinese society and paint state–society dynamics as laden with conflict (e.g., Fu and Chau, ; Huang and Yip, ), others show the current Chinese regime to enjoy a high level of political trust and satisfaction (e.g., Esarey, Stockmann, and Zhang, ; Shi and Lou, ; Zhai, ). While public opinion research thus far has characterized China's divided political landscape as either regime‐supporting or system‐challenging, this study supplements the literature by offering a new informative lens through which to explain people's political psychology and micro‐level political dynamics.…”

Popular conceptions of democracy and democratic satisfaction in China

“…The fundamental principles constituting a liberal democracy, such as separation of power, the rule of law, civil liberties, and freedom of speech, are all underdeveloped and rarely guaranteed in China. On the other hand, people who adhere to liberal democratic values tend to be critical of Chinese politics at present (Zhai, 2017b). Liberal democrats are committed to democratic principles, but are less content with the practice of democracy (Norris, 1999).…”

Values of deference to authority in Japan and China

“…In Japan and China, ‘the maintenance of order and respect for hierarchy were central values’ (Huntington, 1991: 301). Lower ranked people were required to exercise their duty – to respect the authority of the higher ranked – in return for the protection of the latter (Kupperman, 2010; Zhai, 2017). Both Japanese and Chinese people seek to establish interdependence with other members of the family and society (Stevenson and Stigler, 1992: 89).…”

“…Conformity, a preference for harmony, and the primacy of the group over the individual are the three main components of traditional values of Japan and China (Feldman, 1997; Shin, 2012; Thompson, 2001; Zhai, 2017). They reflect authority relations in the hierarchical social structure (Pye and Pye, 1985).…”