The undeserving poor in China: the institutional logic of the minimum living standard scheme and the hukou system

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn tandem with hukou, the Chinese household registration system, the Minimum Standard of Living Scheme (MSLS) may create an institutional melting pot from which negative perceptions continue to inform Chinese attitudes towards the poor. The theoretical point of departure for this paper connects the concept of deservingness with policy institutions. Based on the ISSP 2009 survey, and an examination of country-level differences in the association between perceptions of the poor on the one hand and perceptions of the unemployed and attitudes towards redistribution on the other, it is argued that the theory finds empirical support. The results stress that hukou reform and more inclusive welfare provision are important for improving social cohesion in China.