The Political Economy of Local Poverty Reduction

This dissertation examines the connection between local government policy and changes in absolute rural poverty. Understanding this insufficiently studied relationship will help us to clarify theoretical questions on the role of the state, market and other factors in reducing poverty, as well as to identify effective policy responses to poverty. Absolute rural poverty varies throughout China, as does the response of increasingly powerful and resourceful provincial governments. This dissertation tests specific hypotheses concerning the role of the state and market in alleviating poverty by analyzing which combinations of strategies have been effective at actually reducing poverty. Based on a comparative analysis of six Chinese provinces selected for their ‘unexpected’ success or failure in reducing poverty, this study incorporates data collected during fieldwork from Chinese secondary sources, interviews of knowledgeable Chinese government officials and academics, and site visits to local counties. John Donaldson Ph.D. Candidate Department of Political Science The George Washington University Washington DC John Donaldson Prospectus 2 Table of