Survey Experiment

PSJ — 2026-04-12 Original Limits on Terms, Limits on Control: The Effect of Chief Executive Term Limits on Bureaucratic Responsiveness David R. Miller, Daniel M. Butler

PA — 2026-04-07 Original Fighting Corruption Through Accountability? A Survey Experiment Ming‐feng Kuo, Hsini Huang Abstract ABSTRACT Democratic Weberian bureaucracy is facing great challenges upholding public values as we see turbulent party politics disrupt merit‐based systems, causing bureaucrats' goal displacement and conflicting compliance under multiple accountability mechanisms. Using vignette experiment design, 555 Taiwanese public employees were surveyed to explore how legal, administrative, and social accountabilities influence the perception of black, gray, and white corruption. While respondents accurately identified corruption severity, accountability reminders diminish ethical judgments and are ineffective in explaining whistle‐blowing intention. The study revealed that organizational positions interact differently with accountability reminders in a Weberian bureaucracy. Findings highlight the need to cultivate ethical judgment to shift from external controls to trigger greater perceived accountability to combat corruption. This study sheds light on both felt accountability and corruption theories to reflect existing anti‐corruption strategies.

PMR — pp. 1-31 2026-04-02 Original Smiley bots, satisfied citizens? The impact of AI humanization on citizen experience in public services Jinjin Wu, Yifan Chen Abstract This study examines how AI humanization influences citizen experience in public service delivery by integrating the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) and Emotion as Social Information (EASI) theory. Focusing on AI chatbots as a research context, we explore how humanized responses shape perceived warmth and competence and whether effects differ between programmed and non-programmed services through a survey experiment with four vignette-based scenarios. Findings underscore the importance of context-sensitive and carefully calibrated AI design and functioning choices. By linking SCM’s content dimensions with EASI’s affective and inferential mechanisms, the study provides a social-psychological lens to understand citizen–government interactions in AI-driven public administration and provides practical guidance for designing AI-enabled services that remain citizen-friendly while safeguarding core public values.

JOP 88/2 pp. 479-492 2026-04-01 Original Cycles of Silence: Police–Citizen Cooperation in Communities with Criminal Groups

PMR — pp. 1-36 2026-03-30 Original Citizens’ engagement in coproduction through digital platforms: a survey experiment study in China Ninghui Li, Yanwei Li Abstract This study examines how administrative burden and transparency affect citizens’ willingness to engage in coproduction via digital platforms. In a preregistered vignette experiment, we find that lower administrative burden significantly increases participation, while digital transparency independently promotes engagement. Their interaction is insignificant, suggesting that the two factors operate through separate rather than synergistic mechanisms. These findings advance research on administrative burden, transparency, and digital governance by clarifying how platform design can encourage citizens’ coproduction.

PMR — pp. 1-25 2026-03-17 Original Outcome mutability, culpable control, and blame attribution in crisis Yanwei Li, Hongbo Yu Abstract This study investigates the influence of two critical but underdeveloped factors, namely outcome mutability and culpable control, on citizens’ blame towards governments during crises. Based on a pre-registered survey experiment with 1364 Chinese citizens, our analysis shows that citizens assign more blame when they perceive the government as culpable for negative outcomes arising from crises. Additionally, outcome mutability increases citizens’ blame on the government, especially when they believe negative consequences could have been prevented. These findings demonstrate that counterfactual reasoning and causal inference influence citizens’ blame of the government, deepening our understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying it in crises.

PSJ 54/2 2026-03-09 Original Unpacking Welfare Deservingness Theory: Evidence From the Perceived Deservingness of Gig Workers Juhyun Bae Abstract ABSTRACT The theory of welfare deservingness provides valuable insights into the social legitimacy of welfare programs and the principles underlying policy design. In examining the question of who deserves what and why, established deservingness criteria emphasize that individuals demonstrating motivation to work (“reciprocity”) are typically perceived as more deserving. However, little is known about how the nature of work might affect perceived deservingness. This study addresses this gap by investigating the perceived deservingness of gig workers, a rapidly growing segment of the labor force characterized by distinctive work arrangements. The flexibility and autonomy inherent in gig jobs are argued to amplify perceptions of personal responsibility and control, thereby reducing public support for benefits for gig workers. Through preregistered survey experiments conducted as part of the 2022 Cooperative Election Study, this research identifies a significant “gig work deservingness penalty,” where gig workers are perceived as less deserving of welfare benefits compared to traditional workers, even when demonstrating motivation to work. This penalty is especially pronounced for immigrant gig workers. These findings uncover the established criterion of “job searching” is not homogeneous, offering critical insights into the challenges of building consensus for policy reforms aimed at creating security systems for emerging precarious groups.

PA — 2026-03-07 Original Who Is Accountable? How Citizens Attribute Success and Failure in Cross‐Sector Collaborations

JCC — pp. 1-20 2026-03-06 Original Serve the People: Public Service Information and Communication Strategies of Local Governments in China Jianjun Yu, Shuyuan Shen Abstract While ideological propaganda remains central to Chinese political communication, public service information is a vital yet underexamined component. We argue that public service information enhances service visibility, strengthens government credibility, and fosters affective proximity between local authorities and citizens, boosting government satisfaction and conferring greater legitimacy. Its practical utility also attracts a broader audience and increases engagement with government accounts. Combining a survey experiment and computational analysis of over one million articles from local governments’ WeChat accounts, we find that public service information increases citizens’ support for local governments and draws readers to both government accounts and ideological propaganda. These findings underscore the significance of public service information in legitimation and audience acquisition, warranting greater scholarly attention to public service information in China.