CAREER CONCERNS, BEIJING STYLE

The China model is increasingly viewed by developing countries as a viable alternative to democracy. China’s allegedly merit-based promotion system is lauded as a secret ingredient of the China model. However, once being promoted to the top, Chinese leaders are as unconstrained as other autocrats. I...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International economic review (Philadelphia) 2021-11, Vol.62 (4), p.1513-1535
Main Authors: Che, Jiahua, Chung, Kim-Sau, Qiao, Xue
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Autocracy
Careers
Democracy
Developing countries
Economic theory
LDCs
Military promotions
Political leadership
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Summary:The China model is increasingly viewed by developing countries as a viable alternative to democracy. China’s allegedly merit-based promotion system is lauded as a secret ingredient of the China model. However, once being promoted to the top, Chinese leaders are as unconstrained as other autocrats. If there are fundamental reasons why other autocrats cannot commit to such a promotion system, why are Chinese leaders any different? We provide a unified theory that accommodates both China and other autocracies by postulating that they coordinate on different equilibria. Both the presence and the absence of political career concerns can arise in equilibrium.
ISSN:0020-6598
1468-2354
DOI:10.1111/iere.12523