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The political impacts of land expropriation in China

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  • Sha, Wenbiao

Abstract

I study the political consequences of state expropriation of agricultural land in rural China by using national individual-level panel data for the period 2010–2018. Comparing outcomes before and after expropriation with changes among individuals not experiencing expropriation, I find that having one’s land expropriated decreases individuals’ trust towards local government officials, and increases the incidence of having conflicts with local government officials. I also provide evidence that the adverse political impacts can be mitigated by better local governance, undertaking projects with public benefits, and ex-ante non-agricultural employment.

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  • Sha, Wenbiao, 2023. "The political impacts of land expropriation in China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:160:y:2023:i:c:s0304387822001274
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2022.102985
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