Beyond Nationalism: Understanding Chinese Public Attitudes

This research project uses survey methods to identify a Chinese version of individual-level authoritarianism, a psychological identity trait emphasizing traditional values and political obedience, and its effects on Chinese public foreign policy preferences. Despite growing attention to authoritarianism as a psychological predisposition affecting political preferences in the West, little research has been done to determine the effects of this trait in East Asian societies. This paper shows that authoritarianism is a strong predictor of attitudes toward China’s role in the world and preferences for personal engagement with foreigners from the West.