معرفی
Jessica C. Teets serves as Professor of Political Science at Middlebury College and Associate Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Chinese Political Science. Her academic profile demonstrates deep engagement with Chinese politics and governance structures, teaching core courses including Contemporary Chinese Politics (PSCI 0221), Authoritarian Politics (PSCI 0286), and Chinese Political Economy (PSCI 0469), while supervising senior theses through IGST 0704 and PSCI 0700.
Her research program investigates governance mechanisms within authoritarian frameworks, particularly examining how civic participation functions under China's political system. Teets challenges conventional assumptions about authoritarian rigidity by documenting spaces for civil society engagement, policy experimentation, and citizen-state interaction. Her work reveals the nuanced dynamics of state-society relations where citizens navigate constrained political environments to influence governance outcomes, with particular attention to environmental policy, crisis management, and philanthropic activities.
Analysis of her publication trajectory shows consistent focus on authoritarian adaptation mechanisms, with increasing attention to Xi Jinping-era governance transformations. Her recent scholarship examines how local officials strategically respond to centralization pressures while maintaining policy innovation spaces, and how civil society organizations develop sophisticated navigation strategies within restrictive political contexts. The research demonstrates authoritarian systems' capacity for selective responsiveness without democratic transformation.
Dr. Teets has established significant scholarly impact through publications in premier journals including The China Quarterly, World Politics, and Governance. Her book Civil Society Under Authoritarianism: The China Model (Cambridge University Press, 2014) represents a foundational contribution to understanding non-democratic governance complexity.
As an educator, Teets mentors students through senior thesis supervision and directs independent study projects (IPEC 0500, PSCI 0500). Her current research initiatives include a book manuscript with Dr. Xiang Gao analyzing governance changes under Xi Jinping and an edited volume developing theoretical frameworks for policy advocacy in authoritarian contexts, reflecting her sustained commitment to advancing scholarly understanding of non-democratic political systems.
