Historical Persistence of Meritocratic Selection on Citizen Compliance

ABSTRACT The persistent influence of historical bureaucratic institutions on various contemporary socio‐economic outcomes is well documented, yet the extent to which these institutions shape current citizen‐state interactions remains underexplored. This study focuses on the persistent effect of a cultural factor shaped by a historical meritocratic institution (ancient China's imperial examination) on citizen compliance with social distancing policies during the first wave of COVID‐19 in China. Based on historical archives and digital mobility data, we find that human mobility decreased significantly more in cities with more achievers in the examination after the unexpected lockdown, the Wuhan Lockdown, in China. This effect is implemented through channels of current education level and bureaucracy‐oriented value. Further analysis based on survey data shows that this effect is reflected in citizens' obedience to the central government, rather than to local governments. These findings offer a new explanation for the geographic variation in citizen compliance and highlight the persistent positive effect of meritocratic selection on contemporary citizen‐government interactions.