Popular support for the social security system in urban China: evidence from a cross-sectional survey in a Chinese city

ABSTRACT Because the legitimacy of the welfare system ultimately depends on citizens’ support, it is vital to understand public welfare attitudes. By analysing primary data collected in Zhuhai City, this study examines Chinese people’s attitudes toward contributory social security programmes. The study’s bi-dimensional conception of welfare attitudes synthesises the dual roles that people play in social security and examines their respective attitudes. Self-interest and ideology models were both tested in the Chinese context. As ordinary citizens, people’s expectation for governmental responsibility in social security appears to be high. As contributors to the system, their willingness to pay premiums is also on the high side. Based on multivariate analysis, this study provides contextual explanations for the attitudinal patterns observed in Zhuhai and interprets the results in reference to the international literature. The article concludes with policy implications for China’s social security reforms.