Qin Gao, Yanxia Zhang, and Fuhua Zhai Co-edits Special Issue on Social Assistance in China: Impact Evaluation and Policy Implications

By
Yahan Yang
March 21, 2019

China currently has one of the world’s largest social assistance programs—Dibao, or the minimum livelihood guarantee—in terms of both government expenditures and population coverage. In a special issue of China: An International Journal co-edited by Qin Gao, Yanxia Zhang, and Fuhua Zhai, a set of studies offer new evidence on the impact and policy implications of Dibao. Special emphasis is placed on evaluating previously ignored aspects (such as stigma and family consumption) and recent developments in rural areas as well as urban-rural unification of Dibao.

The first section of the special issue offers conceptual and empirical assessments of two fundamental elements of policy design of Dibao—the adequacy of Dibao assistance standards and the stigma associated with the application process and receipt status. The second section examines the association between Dibao participation and two outcome aspects: family consumption and citizens’ view of government performance. The third section focuses on the coordination between and unification of urban and rural Dibao. The final section offers a framework and roadmap for the evaluation and performance monitoring of Dibao.

Columbia Affiliations
China Center for Social Policy