Race to the top: Public oversight and local environmental information transparency in China

This study examines how the Pollution Information Transparency Index (PITI), a non-governmental evaluation of local environmental information transparency, has improved the performance of Chinese city governments. Through monitoring, ranking, and publicizing city performance measured by the PITI, NGOs can complement the central government in policy implementation and create a competition among local jurisdictions. Case studies and statistical analyses find that cities respond to such public oversight, with those in more politically competitive provinces experience faster improvement in environmental information transparency. These findings suggest that political incentives and inter-jurisdictional competition may be leveraged by the civil society to improve local governance in China.