Rights-oriented or responsibility-oriented? Two subtypes of populism in contemporary China

Abstract

The present investigation engages in the debate on populism from a demand/acceptance perspective by providing examinations and explanations within the Chinese context. It clarifies the heterogeneity of China’s populism, separating rights-oriented populism, which shares the element of anti-elitism with the populism found in most European nations, from responsibility-oriented populism, which has ideological roots in China’s specific socio-political contexts. The study finds responsibility-oriented populism to be predominant in China (occupying 76.92% of the populist sample), with rights-oriented populism only representing 18.04% of the populist respondents. Using these results, we examine associations between each type of populism and a series of political ideations. Statistics suggest that China’s rights-oriented populism is negatively correlated with system justification and national identification. In contrast, stronger responsibility-oriented populism associates with higher system justification, greater national identification, more satisfaction with life, and higher right-wing authoritarianism. Finally, implications for research on populism and on China’s public opinion are discussed.