Assessing the Effectiveness of Air Pollution Control Policy Mixes: A Case from China

In recent years, there have been extensive theoretical discourse on policy mixes. Nevertheless, empirical research on the factors contributing to their effectiveness remains limited. This study examines the relationship between two features in policy mixes design, namely intensity and balance, as well as their impacts on policy effectiveness. Using provincial-level data from China (2013–2018), this paper explores how these features enhance policy outcomes. Our findings indicate that, the intensity of command-and-control policy instruments has a significant impact on improving policy effectiveness. Besides, balanced policy mixes are more effective when there is less scrutiny of the environmental performance assessment.