Beyond GDPism: The Impact of China’s Cadre Performance Evaluation System Shift on Rural Revitalization

The key to global rural revitalization lies in shifting the attention of policymakers toward balancing urban-biased policies. The cadre performance evaluation system (CPES) is an important institutional design for adjusting the attention of officials. However, it remains unclear whether and how it will impact rural revitalization. The article introduces a framework of “incentive target transition – attention reallocation” and employs a difference-in-differences (DID) model, leveraging data from counties in China spanning from 2008 to 2022, to delve into the impact of the transformation of the CPES, guided by the principle of “beyond GDP-ism,” on rural revitalization. The study showed that the level of rural revitalization increased by 5.8% after the implementation of CPES shift at the county level of government. Furthermore, if, following the removal of GDP assessments, the preliminary phase of rural revitalization (targeted poverty alleviation) is established as a new, strong incentive target, it can significantly enhance the effectiveness of rural revitalization efforts. Mechanism analysis indicates that, following the transformation of the CPES, county-level governments have redirected their efforts by increasing fiscal investments and expanding land transfer areas. These measures are intended to guide the movement of human resources toward rural areas and stimulate agricultural entrepreneurial activity, thereby fostering sustained rural revitalization. Officials who are younger, possess higher educational attainment, or serve in their hometowns tend to amplify the efficacy of abolishing GDP assessments. This effect will also be even stronger in regions with industrial bases and higher levels of social trust.