Jessica Teets, Middlebury College
In contrast to previous regimes, under Xi Jinping the Chinese Communist Party has pushed citizens to engage philanthropy and volunteerism. State messaging about “common prosperity” and “tertiary distribution” posits these prosocial behaviors as a way to alleviate inequality. Is this propaganda working in changing citizen behavior? This study uses national survey data from the 2018, 2020, and 2022 waves of the Civic Participation in China Survey (CPCS). It finds that Chinese citizens are donating and volunteering more than in the past, and that they view these activities more positively. We find some evidence that the state propaganda may be a motivating factor for cadres, who are exposed to these messages sooner and in higher doses than non-members. However, there is less evidence that behavior and views of non-cadres has been influenced by propaganda, as the uptick in philanthropy and volunteerism mostly precedes the new state discourse. Register here.