Political Economy and Governance Research Program

The Political Economy and Governance (PEG) research program uses a data-driven approach to study critical aspects of Chinese politics and governance. This work seeks to advance empirical, multidisciplinary insights into China’s political economy, including how political institutions, the political environment, and the economic system influence each other and shape the allocation of resources, production, and distribution of wealth in society.

Studying political economy and governance in China is essential because political dynamics shape the country’s economic growth and its global role in the 21st century. Understanding the quality of governance—and the factors that sustain it—provides valuable insights into Chinese society and the livelihood of the Chinese people. The data-driven approach allows us to uncover patterns often obscured by opaque political processes.

Featured Research

Asian woman looks at a smart phone with render social media icons hovering around.

China's Digital Environment

China's unique digital environment offers a central arena for public discourse, enabling opinion formation, collective behavior, and the spread of information. This research area examines how social media platforms are used by individuals and communities in China, what online activity reveals about societal attitudes, and how information circulates within and beyond China’s borders. Using an empirical and computational approach, the project explores the interaction between public expression, platform governance, and state regulation. By analyzing large-scale digital activity, this work sheds light on the complexities of online engagement, and the broader social, political, and economic implications of China's evolving digital landscape.

A group of men face the forbidden city in China.

Public Opinion and Ideology

Public opinion and ideology influence political order by shaping how individuals interpret their social environment and engage with governing frameworks. This research area examines how the Communist Party of China and societal forces construct ideological narratives to foster compliance, guide political behavior, and sustain governance. It explores how ideology informs public attitudes, channels political expression, and mediates responses to state policies. By analyzing large-scale public discourse and behavioral data, this research offers insights into the interaction between political institutions, belief systems, and mass opinion in China’s political landscape.

Researchers

https://sccei.fsi.stanford.edu/people/jennifer-pan

Jennifer Pan

Professor of Communication, Stanford University

Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies

Full Biography

https://sccei.fsi.stanford.edu/people/yiqing-xu

Yiqing Xu

Assistant Professor of Political Science, Stanford University

Faculty Affiliate, Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions

Full Biography

Related Publications

Fu, Yiqin, Yiqing Xu, and Taisu Zhang (2024). Does Legality Produce Political Legitimacy? An Experimental Approach. Journal of Legal Studies, forthcoming.

Hanley, Hans W. A., Yingdan Lu, and Jennifer Pan (2024). Across the Firewall: Foreign Media's Role in Shaping Chinese Social Media Narratives on the Russo-Ukrainian War. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122 (1) e2420607122.

Pan, Jennifer, Xu Xu, and Yiqing Xu (2024). Disguised Repression: Targeting Opponents with Non-Political Crimes to Undermine Dissent. The Journal of Politics, forthcoming.

Fan, Yingjie, Jennifer Pan, and Jaymee Sheng (2023). Strategies of Chinese State Media on Twitter. Political Communication 41(1): 4-25.

Cao, Jiarui, Yiqing Xu, and Chuanchuan Zhang (2022). Clans and Calamity: How Social Capital Saved Lives during China’s Great Famine. Journal of Development Economics, Volume 157.

Lu, Yingdan, Jack Schaefer, Kunwoo Park, Jungseock Joo, and Jennifer Pan (2022). How Information Flows from the World to China. The International Journal of Press/Politics 29(2): 305-327.

Pan, Jennifer and Tongtong Zhang (2021). Does Ideology Influence Hiring in China? Evidence from Two Randomized Experiments. Political Science Research and Methods 11(1): 63-79.

Pan, Jennifer and Yiqing Xu (2018). China’s Ideological Spectrum. The Journal of Politics 80(1): 254-273.