义务教育的国家整合效应：来自中国少数民族的证据
The national-integration effect of compulsory education: Evidence from Chinese minorities
Journal of Development Economics · 2025 · [{"name": "Zhi-An Hu", "affiliation": ["Central University of Finance and Economics"]}, {"name": "Wei Luo", "affiliation": []}]
中文摘要
政府能否通过义务教育促进国家整合？我们以中国《义务教育法》为背景考察这一问题；该法于1986年启动，并在随后几年间于各省份陆续实施。利用个体在6至15岁期间受该政策影响程度的差异，我们发现，受政策影响时间更长的少数民族更有可能进入族际婚姻。这一效应在居住隔离程度较低的地区以及受语言统一影响更大的群体中更为显著。受政策影响时间更长的少数民族也倾向于为子女选择民族特征较不明显的名字，表明存在一定程度的文化适应。此外，我们发现义务教育在少数民族人口中培育了共同的公民价值观和强烈的国家认同感。
Abstract
Can governments promote national integration through compulsory education? We examine this question in the context of China's Compulsory Education Law, which was initiated in 1986 and implemented across provinces in subsequent years. Exploiting variation in individual exposure to the policy during ages 6–15, we find that ethnic minorities with longer exposure were more likely to enter interethnic marriages. This effect is stronger in regions with lower residential segregation and among groups more affected by language unification. Minorities with longer exposure also tended to choose less ethnically distinctive names for their children, suggesting a degree of acculturation. Furthermore, we show that compulsory education fostered shared civic values and a strong sense of national identity among minority populations.