Communities built on political trust: Theory and evidence from China

Abstract

This study offers a unique mixed-methods investigation on the formation of neighbourhood communities in China’s megacities. We find that the local government helps homeowners overcome prevalent collective action problems and govern themselves more effectively. Neighbourhoods that have established homeowners’ associations (HOAs) enjoy better governing outcomes than those without HOAs, as evidenced by homeowners wielding greater control over neighbourhood affairs, showing heightened respect for democratic principles, and maintaining a stronger sense of community identity. Owing to these positive outcomes, and as compared to their counterparts in neighbourhoods without HOAs, homeowner activists in neighbourhoods with HOAs develop a deeper trust in their local government. As such, our argument that urban communities are based on political trust in authoritarian regimes complicates the conventional view that such regimes either repress civic engagement or manipulate civic organisations for social control.

本文采用独特的混合方法研究，考察中国特大城市邻里社区的形成。我们发现地方政府帮助业主克服普遍存在的集体行动问题，并帮助他们更有效地进行自我管理。建立了业主委员会（HOA）的街区治理效果优于未建立业主委员会的街区，因为业主对街区事务的控制力更强、对民主原则的尊重度更高、社区认同感更强。这些积极成果使得有 HOA 街区的业主积极分子，与没有 HOA 街区的业主积极分子相比，对当地政府更信任。因此，我们认为城市社区建立在对威权政体的政治信任之上，这一论点使传统观点变得更复杂，传统观点认为，威权政体要么压制公民参与，要么操纵公民组织进行社会控制。