Sectoral work experience of provincial leaders and local public expenditure in China

ABSTRACT How the sectoral work experience of local leaders affects local public expenditure is underexplored. Using a unique panel dataset on the work experience of secretaries of the provincial party committee (SPPCs) and governors of provinces (GPs) in China, this study empirically analyses how the work experience of provincial leaders in the agricultural sector affects agricultural public expenditure. The results show that the work experience of SPPCs in the agricultural sector significantly raises agricultural public expenditure, while the work experience of GPs in the agricultural sector shows no such effect. In addition, there is a positive relationship between the tenure of SPPCs in the agricultural sector and agricultural public expenditure. Moreover, this study reveals that SPPCs with work experience in the agricultural departments of the central government will increase agricultural public expenditure to a greater extent than SPPCs with work experience in the agricultural departments of local governments. Furthermore, the positive work experience of SPPCs in the agricultural sector on agricultural public expenditure is because such experience shapes their intrinsic preferences for agricultural affairs. This study enhances the understanding of how the sectoral work experience of local leaders affects local public expenditure in developing countries.