The Minimum Living Standard Guarantee System and Citizenship Cultivation among the Poor in China.

China's Minimum Living Standard Guarantee System (mlsgs) provides an unconditional cash transfer to poor households to alleviate poverty. During China's transitional period, the mlsgs has played an important role in the maintenance of social stability. However, beyond poverty alleviation and stability maintenance, other outcomes--particularly the strengthening of citizenship--have received little attention. This study explores the influence of the mlsgs on the perceptions of citizenship among aid recipients, and finds not only that the mlsgs has gradually promoted the social rights of the poor and strengthened state--citizen interactions, but also finds issues and challenges that may limit Chinese citizens' ability to fully exercise their new rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]