About Me

I am a PhD Candidate in Political Science at Northwestern University, specializing in Comparative Politics and Research Methods. My research focuses on comparative political economy, institutional change, and bureaucratic politics. Methodologically, I explore how machine-learning algorithms can complement qualitative induction. My dissertation book project examines the varieties of regional economies in China, their historical evolution, and China's integration into global capitalism. It also advances a new approach to concept formation by combining quantitative clustering with qualitative typology.

My dissertation examines the divergent economic trajectories of China’s regions over four decades of Reform and Opening. Using machine-learning analysis, it identifies four distinct types of regional economies—quasi-liberal, dual-market, state-retreating, and state-dominated—each characterized by varying degrees of market development and state dominance. Drawing on two years of fieldwork in 14 provinces, the study shows that in the 1980s, distinct state–business coalitions emerged, mobilizing region-specific resources and comparative advantages to pursue tailored development strategies. These strategies set in motion four path-dependent trajectories that have since been reinforced. The dissertation argues that China’s economic development rests on a form of patchwork capitalism, in which regions perform distinct economic roles. This regional division of labor has facilitated China’s integration into global capitalism while reinforcing uneven patterns of economic growth across regions.