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Solidary Groups, Informal Accountability, and Local Public Goods Provision in Rural China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2007

LILY L. TSAI
LILY L. TSAI
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Abstract

Why would government officials in authoritarian and transitional systems where formal democratic and bureaucratic institutions of accountability are often weak ever provide more than the minimum level of public goods needed to maintain social stability? Findings from a unique combination of in-depth case study research and an original survey of 316 villages in rural China indicate that even when formal accountability is weak, local officials can be subject to unofficial rules and norms that establish and enforce their public obligations. These informal institutions of accountability can be provided by encompassing and embedding solidary groups. Villages where these types of groups exist are more likely to have better local governmental public goods provision than villages without these solidary groups, all other things being equal.

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ARTICLES
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American Political Science Review , Volume 101 , Issue 2 , May 2007 , pp. 355 - 372
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© 2007 by the American Political Science Association

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