How local leaders matter: Inter-provincial leadership transfers and land transactions in China

Yue Li, Xiang Shao, Zhigang Tao and Hongjie Yuan

Journal of Comparative Economics, 2022, vol. 50, issue 1, 196-220

Abstract: We study how local leaders matter for economic growth by examining the impacts of exogenous transfers of leaders across China’s provinces on land transactions in the primary market. We find that new provincial leaders attract investment in industrial land from the provinces of their previous positions. The leaders’ impacts are greater when their freedom to deploy their business connections in the land market is greater. More importantly, we find evidence of positive impacts of land transactions on economic growth, which should bode well for the careers of the local leaders, albeit there is some evidence of rent seeking among officials especially when they are too old for further promotion.

Keywords: Local leaders; Business connection; Land transactions; Political rotation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H11 O43 P26 R12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:50:y:2022:i:1:p:196-220

DOI: 10.1016/j.jce.2021.09.002

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