Public Awareness and Public Participation of the Middle Class: A Comparative Analysis Based on the Typification of the Middle Class
The middle class plays a crucial role in the social and political operations of the state. Currently, the development of China's middle class exhibits typological characteristics, with its behavior and consciousness receiving considerable attention. Using a logit regression model, this study compares the differences in public consciousness and public participation between the middle class and non-middle class, as well as among different types of the middle class. The findings reveal that the middle class is not politically passive, compared to the non-middle class, the middle class has a stronger sense of public consciousness and a higher level of public participation. However, the difference in consciousness between the middle class and the non-middle class is greater than the difference in behavior, indicating that the public consciousness of the middle class has not effectively translated into public participation. Within the middle class, the new middle class and the middle class within the system exhibit higher political efficacy and voting enthusiasm, with their public consciousness and participation significantly surpassing that of the old middle class and the middle class outside the system. Additionally, the difference between the middle class within and outside the system is greater than the difference between the new and old middle classes. In contemporary China, institutional factors are the primary reason for the differences in political attitudes within the middle class.
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