The Logic of Ideological Campaigns Under Authoritarianism: Evidence from China

Abstract

Authoritarian regimes usually have the most democratic-sounding names and concede spaces in the constitution to articles on human rights. Though scholars have offered important insights on the motivations of authoritarian leaders to promote liberal norms, most empirical analyses are limited to cross-national analysis and other actors in domestic politics, especially local elites, receive less notice. The paper attempts to fill the gap and examines the Core Socialist Values Campaign started by Xi Jinping since October 2012, in which democracy, justice, freedom, equality and rule of law, generally viewed as principles of liberal democracies, were officially pronounced as the essential components of the “Core Socialist Values.” The paper reveals that the responsiveness of local elites to the Campaign is contingent on multiple economic and political incentives based on a data set of provincial newspapers from 2010 to 2015. Local elites who govern more economically advanced and modernized regions, or have tighter linkage with the central leadership are more responsive to the Campaign.