Legislative Decentralization and Regulatory Dilution: Evidence from Air Pollution Control in China

Research Hypothesis:
This study hypothesizes that decentralizing legislative authority from China's central to provincial governments leads to the dilution of environmental regulations. Specifically, it explores how this dilution impacts air quality by weakening local enforcement, allowing increased pollution and the entry of more polluting firms.

What the Data Shows:
The data indicates that after the provincial legislations adapting the national Atmospheric Pollution Prevention and Control Law (APPCL) were enacted, air quality worsened by 3.5% on average. Key pollutants such as PM 2.5, PM 10, and SO2 increased in affected regions. The data suggests that local governments diluted the central regulations to prioritize economic growth, attracting more polluting industries and lowering firm closures in these sectors.

Notable Findings:

The enactment of provincial APPCLs corresponds with a deterioration in air quality.
Local environmental enforcement declines after the passage of these laws.
Cities under closer central supervision or those with political ties to central leaders experienced less legislative dilution.
Data Interpretation:
This dataset includes air quality readings (AQI, PM 2.5, PM 10, SO2), records of environmental penalties, and data on polluting firms' registration and closure. It covers 334 cities from 2014 to 2020. The difference-in-differences analysis links the introduction of local APPCLs to declines in air quality. The data reveals that local adaptations often weakened enforcement, particularly in regions with less central oversight.

Data Collection Method:
Air quality data were collected from official monitoring stations, providing monthly averages of pollutants. Legislative data on APPCL enactment was gathered from provincial records. Environmental penalties were sourced from a national legal database, while firm registration data came from the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. Meteorological data were included to account for weather effects on pollution levels, and economic data were used as controls.

How the Data Can Be Used:
This dataset is valuable for researchers studying environmental governance, decentralization, and regulatory enforcement. It offers insights into how political and institutional factors affect environmental policy outcomes at the local level. Analysts can use it to replicate or expand upon the findings regarding governance quality and environmental regulation under decentralized systems.

研究假设：
本研究提出如下假设：将立法权限从中国中央下放至省级政府，会导致环境监管规制的弱化。具体而言，本研究探讨此种规制弱化如何通过削弱地方执法力度、加剧污染排放以及吸引更多高污染企业进入，进而对空气质量产生负面影响。

数据结果表明：
数据显示，在各省份出台适配国家《大气污染防治法》（Atmospheric Pollution Prevention and Control Law, APPCL）的省级立法后，空气质量平均恶化3.5%。受影响区域的关键污染物，如细颗粒物（Particulate Matter 2.5, PM 2.5）、可吸入颗粒物（Particulate Matter 10, PM 10）与二氧化硫（Sulfur Dioxide, SO2）浓度均出现上升。数据表明，地方政府为优先发展经济而弱化中央规制，进而吸引更多高污染产业入驻，并降低了此类产业内企业的关停率。

显著发现：
省级《大气污染防治法》适配立法的出台与空气质量恶化存在显著关联；
此类立法通过后，地方环境执法力度出现下滑；
受中央更严格监督，或与中央领导存在政治关联的城市，其环境规制弱化程度相对更低。

数据解读：
本数据集涵盖空气质量监测数据（空气质量指数Air Quality Index, AQI、细颗粒物Particulate Matter 2.5, PM 2.5、可吸入颗粒物Particulate Matter 10, PM 10、二氧化硫Sulfur Dioxide, SO2）、环境处罚记录，以及高污染企业的注册与关停数据。数据集覆盖2014年至2020年的334座城市。研究通过双重差分法（difference-in-differences）分析，证实地方《大气污染防治法》适配立法的出台与空气质量下降存在因果关联。数据还显示，地方适配立法通常会削弱环境执法力度，此种情况在中央监督力度较弱的地区尤为突出。

数据采集方法：
空气质量数据来源于官方监测站点，提供各污染物的月度均值。《大气污染防治法》适配立法的相关立法数据采集自省级档案记录。环境处罚数据来源于国家级法律数据库，企业注册数据则取自国家工商行政管理总局（State Administration for Industry and Commerce）。研究同时纳入气象数据以控制天气对污染浓度的影响，并加入经济数据作为控制变量。

数据集应用场景：
本数据集对于研究环境治理、权力下放以及监管执法的学者具有重要参考价值。该数据集可用于揭示政治与制度因素如何影响地方层面的环境政策实施效果。研究人员可利用该数据集复现或拓展关于分权体制下治理质量与环境规制的相关研究发现。