Fresh Cadres Bring Fresh Air? Personnel Turnover, Institutions, and China's Water Pollutions

Weak law enforcement is usually blamed for the dramatic deterioration of the environment in China. Using a panel data covering 287 Chinese prefecture‐cities during 2004–2011, we investigate the role of personnel turnover and institutions in water pollution. We show that water pollution deteriorates with the tenure of incumbent mayors. Mayor turnover and institutional quality are associated with lower pollution. Furthermore, personnel turnover and institutions complement each other in mitigating pollution: the influence of mayor turnover on pollution reduction is larger in the cities endowed with stronger executive constraints. We also suggest some channels through which personnel turnover affects water pollution. In general, we illustrate that the turnover of cadres has only limited and temporary effects in mitigating pollution.