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Research

Research Agenda

My publications align closely with my research agenda in three major aspects. First, some of my work is based on my book project to evaluate the political economy of distribution, policymaking, and resource allocation in authoritarian regimes, as well as their institutional arrangements. Second, I publish articles on how local bureaucrats navigate the competing demands and interests when implementing central policies. Lastly, I study when and why citizens accept or resist the uneven costs of policies, and how authoritarian regimes can strategically shape public opinion. Drawing on my empirical work in China, my research offers a China-anchored comparative political economy perspective that links domestic political dynamics to broader global debates across countries.

You can check my page on researchgate, Google Scholar, and CityU Scholar for more details about my publications and research.

Publications (* Corresponding Author)

  1. Dong, B., Liu, D*., and Yu, J., 2026, Persuading the Public: Nationalist Propaganda and Support for Costly Environmental Policies in China, Environmental Politics, 35(2), 358-381 Online Version; ResearchGate
  2. Dong, B., Walker, E., and Liu, D., 2026 Tolerating Violence: Public Opinions on Anti-Government Protest and State Repression, Democratization, 33(2), 222–246
  3. Li, Y., Liu, D., and Shao, L., 2025, Propaganda with Subculture: A Resource for Internet Control in China, Journal of Chinese Political Science. 30, 449-473 Online Version; ResearchGate
  4. Zhu, X., Qiu, T.*, and Liu, D*. 2025 Curbing Elite Capture or Enhancing Resources: Recentralizing Local Environmental Enforcement in China. China Quarterly. 261, 73-92 Online Version (Open Access); Download
  5. Liu, D. and Shao, L., 2024 Nationalist Propaganda and Support for War in an Authoritarian Context: Evidence from China. Journal of Peace Research. 61(6), 985-1001 Online Version; ResearchGate (
  6. Shao, L, Liu, D.*, and Wang, F., 2024. Suppression by Mobilization: How Information Control Strategies Contain Political Criticism in Autocracies. Political Research Quarterly. 77(3), 729-742 Online Version; ResearchGate;
  7. Gueorguiev, D. and Liu, D., 2023. Double Standard: Chinese Public Opinion on the Hong Kong Protests, Conflict Management and Peace Science. 41(4), 343-364 Online Version; ResearchGate;
  8. Liu, D. 2023. Cooptation without Opposition: Government Response in the Authoritarian Legislature in China, Democratization. 0(7), 1400-1422 Online Version
  9. Liu. D., 2022. Policy Influence of Delegates in Authoritarian Legislatures: Evidence from China, Political Research Quarterly. 76(2), 481-495 Online Version, Replication Data
  10. Shao, L., Du, J., Han, R., and Liu, D.*, 2023. Racial and Gender Stereotypes in Immigration Attitudes: Evidence from China. Journal of Ethnics and Migration Studies. 49(9), 2391-2415 Online Version
  11. Zhu, X., Qiu, T., and Liu, D.* 2023. Resisting Public Monitoring and Activism in Authoritarian Regimes: Evidence from Local Environmental Litigation in China. Governance, 36(2), 459-477 Online Version, ResearchGate
  12. Shao, L., Du, J., Han, R., and Liu, D.*, 2021. How does Marriage Demand Stimulate Support for Immigration in Asia? Journal of Ethnics and Migration Studies. 49(5), 1311-1330 Online Version, ResearchGate
  13. Liu, D.*, Carrington, N., 2022. Minority versus Minority: Partisanship and Inter-Group Competitions among Asian Americans. American Politics Research. 50(2), 265-276. Online Version, ResearchGate, Online Appendix
  14. Liu, D. and Shao, L. 2022. Public Opinion Backlash Against China’s International Expansion. Journal of Contemporary China. 31(135), 366-382. Online Version, ResearchGate, SSRN
  15. Liu, D. 2020. “Consultative Channels in the Authoritarian Policy Process: the Role of Non-Government Organizations and Their Environmental Policy Advocacy in China”. Governance, 33(2), 323-342. Online Version, ResearchGate
  16. Liu, D. 2019. “Punishing the Dissidents: the Selective Implementation of Stability Preservation in China”. Journal of Contemporary China, 28 (119), 795-812. Online Version, ResearchGate
  17. Shao, L., and Liu, D.*, 2018. “The Road to Cynicism: The Political Consequences of Online Satire Exposure in China.” Political Studies, 67 (2), 517-536. Online Version, ResearchGate

Under Review

  1. Blaming the Capital: How does Chinese Government shared responsibilities for governance failure? (with Binzizi Dong and Richard Walker, Revise and Resubmit at Public Administration)
  2. From Pixels to Participation: How Digital Culture Fosters Civic Engagement (with We Gu and Ning Liu, Revise and Resubmit at Public Administration Review)
  3. Backlash against “Naming and Shaming” and its Impact on Foreign Public Opinion (with Claudia Junghyun Kim, R&R at Journal of Peace Research)
  4. Does China’s “Wolf Warrior Diplomacy” Affect the U.S. Public’s Approval of Hawkish Policies toward China? (with Li Shao and Kyungwon Suh, Revise and Resubmit at Conflict Management and Peace Science)
  5. The Populist Pulse: Social Inequality and Political Behavior in China (with Junhao Yu)
  6. Putnam’s Puzzle: Can Immigrants’ Participation Win the Natives’ Heart (with Li Shao, Juan Du and Rongbin Han)

 

Working Papers

  1. When Public and Bureaucrats Come into Conflicts: Autocrats’ Distributional Strategies in China’s Anti-Corruption
  2. Performantive Implementation in China (with Li Shao)
  3. Revolutionary without Ideology: Old Narrative as the New Source of Legitimacy