The Evolution of Political Research in China

The speaker discusses how understanding China's political landscape is crucial to grasping its economic developments. Initially trained in economics, the speaker transitioned to political science to analyze the complex relationship between China’s political system and its growth. The ongoing urbanization efforts highlighted the prevalence of local thuggery and intimidation, which had largely gone unnoticed in broader academic discourse. This led to extensive fieldwork across multiple provinces, allowing the author to compile observations that would shape her understanding and research focus on state repression.