| Abstract: |
Recent experimental evidence contends that meritocratic ideals are mainly a
Western phenomenon. Intriguingly, the Chinese public does not appear to
differentiate between merit- and luck-based inequalities, despite China’s
historical emphasis on meritocratic institutions. We propose that this
phenomenon could be due to the Chinese public’s greater reluctance to make an
active choice in real-stake redistribution decisions. We run an incentivized
redistribution experiment with elite university students in China and France,
by varying the initial split of payoffs between two real-life workers to
redistribute from. We show that, compared to French respondents, Chinese
respondents consistently and significantly choose more non-redistribution
across both highly unequal and relatively equal status quo scenarios.
Additionally, we also find that Chinese respondents do differentiate between
merit- and luck-based inequalities, and do not redistribute less than the
French, excluding the individuals who engage in non-redistribution choices.
Chinese respondents are also as reactive as the French towards scenarios with
noisy signals of merit, such as inequalities of opportunities. Ultimately, we
contend that the reluctance to make an active choice is indicative of
diminished political agency to act upon redistribution decisions with
real-life stakes, rather than apathy, inattention, having benefited from the
status quo in Chinese society or libertarian preferences among the Chinese.
Notably, our findings show that Chinese individuals’ reluctance to make a
choice is particularly pronounced among those from families of working-class
and farming backgrounds, while it is absent among individuals whose families
have closer ties to the private sector. (Stone Center on Socio-Economic
Inequality Working Paper) |