“Public sentiment”is a core concept in national governance. Understanding its dimensions and generative mechanism constitutes a necessary framework for comprehending China’s governance. By reviewing the traditional political cultural roots of“public sentiment”and modern political thought, this article presents an operational definition of“public sentiment,”its measurements based on a“problem-phenomenon” approach, and a theoretical model of“policy-conception-communication”generated by these measurements. Analysis of 4,203 questionnaires reveals that“public sentiment”encompasses five dimensions: satisfaction with national governance, party recognition, ethical government, fulfillment of material needs, and fulfillment of safety needs. It is highly correlated with the evaluation of the legitimacy and effectiveness of national governance, as well as with government trust, and has a significant functional effect on national governance behavior. The generation of“public sentiment”is significantly positively influenced by traditional political culture, national identity, sense of policy benefit, political thinking, consciousness of the Chinese national community, spirit of sacrifice, prosocial ideas, confidence, government information, and trust in government information. Conversely, it is significantly negatively influenced by the ultimate view in Confucianism, materialism, awareness of equality, and scientific attitudes. Notably, factors such as the sense of policy benefit, sources of government information, and trust in government information produce notable moderating effects.
