Enhancing urban public service efficiency through the national civilized city policy: an empirical analysis of 282 cities in China from 2005 to 2019

Public service supply is a cornerstone of urban functionality, with enhancing efficiency being pivotal for sustainable urban development. In China's urban development strategy, the National Civilized City (NCC) policy stands out as a key tool aimed at bolstering public service efficiency. By analyzing data from 282 Chinese cities spanning 2005 to 2019 and employing the 'authoritative incentive-technology control' framework, this study utilizes a fixed-effect regression model to delve into the mechanisms underlying the NCC policy's impact on public service efficiency. Key findings include: (1) Notably, the NCC policy significantly improves urban public service efficiency, primarily propelled by directives from central authorities (2) The effectiveness of the policy varies across administrative tiers, with a more pronounced impact observed in lower-level cities.(3) Technical control mechanisms, particularly constraint controls, predominantly sustain policy effects (4) The enhancement of urban public services in China hinges on top-down policy incentives, emblematic of a dynamic central-local relationship characterized by the upward transfer of policy power and governance decentralization.