Group 4

Doğ an Gü neş
Marie-Therese Timpe
Deniz Taha Kenger

Topic Meritocracy as Authoritarian Co-Optation: Political Selection and

Upward Mobility in China
Puzzle/research Why does an authoritarian regime adopt meritocracy in its political
question. selection?
Thesis/Argument Meritocracy incites a sense of hope for upward mobility in the citizens
of authoritarian regimes, so far as the selection is considered to be
inclusive. In a meritocracy, due to this incitement, the citizens tend to
work rather for the socio-economic advancement of the system than
against it and be less demanding in their preferences for distribution,
although economic inequalities may prevail.
Contended There is the condition that merit needs to be widely distributed in the
Theses country, more than patronage, as it is the case for China. Furthermore,
an uneasy access to information limits the study, since the information
is barely accessible and the data may hence lack accuracy.
Moreover, as illustrated, the preference for redistribution is only one
aspect making up political attitude.
Method+ data Independent Variable: Meritocratic Political Selection
Dependent Variable: Perception of Upward Mobility (Mobility
Experience and Mobility Prospect), Political Attitude

„Meritocratic Political Selection“ through introduction of NCSE, the

National Civil Service Examination
 Spatial and cohort variation in NCSE introduction
 Generalised Difference-In-Difference (DID) framework to
national survey data
 Focus on provincial exams
  Difference between those who became eligible for NCSE and
those who were not due to their age

Data from Chinese General Social Survey between 2010-2013

Measurement of Perceived Upward Mobility

Three survey questions to measure perceived upward mobility and
political attitude: self-reported socioeconomic status when they took
the survey, 10 years before, 10 years after
 Mobility experience: retrospective evaluation of upward
mobility
 Mobility prospect: prospective evaluation of upward mobility
Focus on perception rather than outcome! There is no need for actual
social mobility, the perception is what counts

Measurement of Political Attitude

 Through survey questions, mostly interested in redistributive
preference
 Other variables: political influence, right to political
participation, political trust

As checks, introduces alternative model specifications and excludes

certain respondents from sample
Evidence/Arg  NCSE has a significant positive effect on perception of upward
mobility
 Presence of NCSE makes respondents more optimistic about
upward mobility
 Institutionalisation of NCSE makes students without link to
politics indeed perceive their chances as higher
 Nonetheless, not necessarily same effect on political attitude
 Although it still balances the demand for redistribution, since
 citizens become less demanding for redistribution despite
inequalities, NSCE does not seem to enhance trust in the regime
 Study contributed to understanding of how political selection
impacts upward mobility, even in authoritarian regimes