The Determinants of Regional Tolerance of Corruption and Their Effective Governance: An Empirical Study of 314 Prefecture-level Administrative Regions

Eliminating corruption requires not only the reinforcement of disciplinary bodies for supervising government and public officials but also the encouragement of civic participation in fighting corruption. Reducing the corruption tolerance level is crucial for improving the public's willingness to combat corruption. Based on data from 314 prefectural areas across the country, it is found that public governance, economic development and societal culture have significant impact on the respondents' tolerance of corruption. The respondents exhibit a lower tolerance of corruption in those areas with more expenditure invested in the domains of science and education, a larger income gap between urban and rural areas, a greater distance from Beijing, a higher level of social trust and public trust in central government, and a higher score on the index of bribe solicitation. There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between economic development and public tolerance of corruption. Therefore, it is important to promote sustainable economic growth, reduce income gap between urban and rural areas, improve political and social trust, and eliminate corruption that directly affects the people. These efforts would reduce public tolerance of corruption, contribute to the collaboration between different actors in fighting corruption and solidify the overwhelming victory of the anti-corruption campaign.