معرفی
Professor Xun Cao holds a joint appointment in the Department of Political Science and the School of Public Policy at Pennsylvania State University. His research focuses on environmental and energy politics, ethnic conflict dynamics, and political geography, with a particular emphasis on China and comparative authoritarian systems. Cao earned his Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 2007, followed by postdoctoral work at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School and a lectureship at the University of Essex, UK.
His work bridges theoretical political science with applied policy analysis, addressing topics such as environmental regulation enforcement, the political economy of pollution control, and the sociopolitical roots of ethnic violence. Notable contributions include analyzing how career incentives for Chinese local officials influence environmental policy outcomes, and examining the mediating effects of public goods provision on conflict during droughts.
- Education: Ph.D., University of Washington, 2007
- Key Research Themes: Environmental policy, political geography, ethnic conflict, governance structures in authoritarian regimes
Recent publications in top journals like American Journal of Political Science and World Politics highlight his interdisciplinary approach. His work often combines quantitative methods with institutional analysis, yielding insights into policy diffusion mechanisms and the interplay between global networks and domestic governance. Cao’s research has been supported by grants focusing on China’s environmental governance and transnational policy dynamics.
