Replication Data for: Propaganda of Democratic Flaws and Its Impact on Regime Evaluations in Autocracies

Historically, good governance in established democracies has been a critical driver for democratization. Yet, the growing visibility of social and political problems in established democracies offers autocrats an opportunity to undermine the democratic model and bolster their own legitimacy. I argue that by strategically amplifying these problems—a tactic I term propaganda of democratic flaws—autocrats can undermine the appeal of a democratic system because such messages often appear credible and evoke fear, even though they do not necessarily increase evaluations of the domestic regime. A text analysis of Weibo posts from Chinese state-affiliated media from 2013 to 2024 and two original survey experiments in China provide consistent support for my argument. These findings show that democratic governance has far-reaching consequences beyond its borders, shaping the global trajectory of authoritarianism.长期以来，成熟民主国家的良治是推动民主化进程的关键动因。然而，当前成熟民主国家的社会与政治问题日益凸显，这为威权统治者提供了破坏民主范式、巩固自身统治合法性的契机。本文认为，威权统治者可通过战略性放大此类问题——笔者将这一策略命名为「民主缺陷宣传（propaganda of democratic flaws）」——削弱民主制度的吸引力：这类宣传话术往往看似可信且能引发恐惧情绪，即便其未必能提升民众对本国政权的评价。本文通过对2013年至2024年中国官方媒体发布的微博（Weibo）帖文进行文本分析，结合两项在中国开展的原创性调查实验，为本论点提供了一致的实证支撑。上述研究结果表明，民主治理的影响远超国界，正塑造着全球威权主义的发展走向。