明鏡所以照形，古事所以知今
Duancheng Yang
I am a lecturer at the School of Government, East China University of Political Science and Law. My research lies at the intersection of historical political economy, state formation, elite politics, and public opinion, with a substantive focus on China.
Research Focus
State Formation and State Building
Historical institutions, bureaucratic reform, and the long-run development of political order in China.
Elite Politics
Succession, political timing, and the fate of designated heirs in imperial political systems.
Public Opinion
Chinese public perceptions of democracy and political concepts in contemporary survey evidence.
Explore
Publications
Selected journal articles and reviews on Chinese politics and historical political economy.
Current Work
Working Paper
Man May Propose, God Disposes
Political time and the fate of designated heirs in imperial China.
Working Paper
The Eve of Leviathan's Birth
Bureaucratic reform and state building in early medieval China.
Profile
I received my PhD in political science from Renmin University of China in 2022. My doctoral research was supervised by Professor Guangbin Yang (杨光斌), and my joint PhD studies at the National University of Singapore benefited from Professor Tuan-Hwee Sng’s mentorship. From 2018 to 2022, I also worked closely with Professor Yun-han Chu (朱云汉，1956-2023) as his research assistant during his appointment as Wu Yuzhang Chair Professor at Renmin University of China.
My current teaching responsibilities include Political Systems of Imperial China (中国政治制度史), Biographies and Evaluations of Characters in the Three Kingdoms and Two Jin Dynasties (三国两晋人物评传), and Thematic Research of Political Systems of Imperial China (中国政治制度史专题研究).
My work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as Journal of Chinese Political Science, World Economics and Politics (《世界经济与政治》), Sociological Review of China (《社会学评论》), Fudan Political Science Review (《复旦政治学评论》), and other journals. Published articles and reviews are listed on the Publications page, and current working papers are available on the Working Papers page.
I am also engaged in translation work, especially book-length works in historical sociology, nationalism, methodology, and contentious politics. Published and forthcoming book translations are listed on the Books page.