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Political Values and Life Satisfaction in China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2020

Xinsheng Liu ,
Youlang Zhang Open the ORCID record for Youlang Zhang [Opens in a new window]  and
Arnold Vedlitz
Xinsheng Liu
Affiliation:
Texas A&M University. Email: x.liu@tamu.edu.
Youlang Zhang*
Affiliation:
Renmin University of China.
Arnold Vedlitz
Affiliation:
Texas A&M University. Email: avedlitz@tamu.edu.
*
Email: zhangyoulang@ruc.edu.cn (corresponding author).
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Abstract

This study focuses on the theoretical links between two important ingredients of individuals’ fundamental political values (i.e. authoritarian ideology and national attachment) and their life satisfaction assessments in an authoritarian context. We employ data from a 2016 national public survey in China to empirically examine how these political values relate to Chinese citizens’ life satisfaction. Our regression analyses demonstrate that Chinese citizens with stronger authoritarian ideology and national attachment are likely to report a higher level of life satisfaction. Our study contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the importance of the connections between political values and citizen life satisfaction. It also advances our understanding of the origins of social and political stability in authoritarian regimes, where citizen life satisfaction usually represents a major source of state legitimacy.

摘要

摘要

本文探讨个人基本政治价值观的两个重要组成部分（即威权主义意识形态和国家依恋）与生活满意度之间的理论关系，并采用 2016 年中国全国公众调查的数据，从实证上分析政治价值观对中国公众生活满意度的影响。分析结果表明，对威权主义认同较强和对国家依恋较强的中国公民具有更高的生活满意度。本文主要贡献在于从理论和实证上揭示了政治价值观与公民生活满意度之间的关系。鉴于威权国家中公民生活满意度通常是政权合法性的重要来源，本文有助于学界更深入地理解威权国家中社会和政治稳定的根源。

Keywords

political valueslife satisfactionChinaauthoritarian ideologynationalism and national attachment政治价值观生活满意度中国威权主义意识形态民族主义和国家依恋
Type
Research Report
Information
The China Quarterly , Volume 245 , March 2021 , pp. 276 - 291
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Copyright
Copyright © SOAS University of London, 2020

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