Propaganda and Public Support for Costly Environmental Policy: Evidence from China

China has proposed an ambitious plan for carbon emission but achieving that goal may mean a significant impact on economic development and an increased cost burden on the public. How will China persuade the public to accept such a costly policy goal? In this paper, we argue that China can promote its costly carbon emission policy through nationalist propaganda that appeals to international competition. Using an online survey experiment with over 2000 respondents across mainland China, we find that the nationalist propaganda focusing on US- China competition increased public support for China’s carbon emission policy, as long as the cost of the policy is not relevant to individual citizens. Furthermore, propaganda can also increase their trust in the government and their willingness to support international collaboration on environmental issues. This study provides evidence of how China can successfully solicit public support for its ambitious environmental policies, which is critical for global efforts to combat climate change, given China’s huge carbon emissions. More broadly, this study reveals how authoritarian governments can promote costly policies by utilizing propaganda strategies.