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Title: Social Fragmentation, Public Goods and Elections: Evidence from China

Author(s): Gerard Padró i Miquel, Nancy Qian and Yang Yao

Publication Date: January 2013

Keyword(s): Democracy, Fractionalization, Pre-Conditions, Religion and Voter Heterogeneity

Programme Area(s): Development Economics and Public Economics

Abstract: This study examines how the economic effects of elections in rural China depend on voter heterogeneity, for which we proxy with religious fractionalization. We first document religious composition and the introduction of village-level elections for a nearly nationally representative sample of over two hundred villages. Then, we examine the interaction effect of heterogeneity and the introduction of elections on village-government provision of public goods. The interaction effect is negative. We interpret this as evidence that voter heterogeneity constrains the potential benefits of elections for public goods provision.

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Bibliographic Reference

Padró i Miquel, G, Qian, N and Yao, Y. 2013. 'Social Fragmentation, Public Goods and Elections: Evidence from China'. London, Centre for Economic Policy Research. https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=9278