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The Chinese government has stated that economic rights must precede civil and political rights (see Weatherly 1999). Do Chinese villagers similarly prioritize their economic rights over political rights? We use an experimental study, set in the context of village elections, to assess the relative importance of political and economic rights. In contrast to the evidence on rural participation, which seems to suggest that villagers care most about their economic rights (e.g. Bernstein and Lu 2000, 2003; Zweig 2000), we argue that rural residents also value and consider their political rights when evaluating government and participating in politics. Results from our experimental study support this argument; rural residents place equal value on their political and economic rights when evaluating government, assessing the importance of elections, and determining whether they will participate in future elections. In addition to identifying a point of discord between the central government and rural residents, our findings suggest the government should continue to standardize and improve the procedural implementation of village elections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese government has disproportionately reformed the economic system over the political system to promote economic development. Public opinion polls suggest Chinese citizens similarly prioritize economic outcomes over political reform. In this environment in which outcomes seemingly trump procedure, what is more explanatory of perceptions of fairness in the political domain in China: receipt of a desired economic outcome or procedural characteristics? Additionally, if procedure matters, which characteristics of the process are most important for perceptions of fairness? I investigate these questions in the framework of village elections, using an experimental design. I find procedural characteristics have twice the substantive effect of economic outcomes. Three procedural characteristics significantly and positively impact perceptions of fairness; opportunities for expression, equal treatment, and the availability of quality choices. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that characteristics of elections, such as the level of competitiveness, affect satisfaction with democracy. This explanation is tested against the predominant explanation in the literature, emphasizing the receipt of desired outcomes such as having one's preferred party or candidate elected. In addition to testing the competing processes v. outcomes explanations, I also explore how competitiveness affects satisfaction. The level of competitiveness may only matter for those people not receiving their desired electoral outcome, or may depend upon the democratic context. The paper shows that in addition to having one's preferred party elected, the level of competition also matters. Additionally, the level of competition has a negative effect so that small margins of victory decrease satisfaction with democracy. Finally, the level of competitiveness has a more pronounced effect in semi-democracies than in established democracies. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]