Zhaotian Luo｜University of Chicago｜Scholar profile

Journal Articles

2026

Backsliding under Contested Oversight.

Zhaotian Luo, Robert Gulotty

Political Science Research and Methods

DOI

2026

Softening the iron cage: A theory of collusion and adaptation in bureaucracy

Zanhui Liu, Zhaotian Luo, Yucheng Qiu

European Journal of Political Economy

DOI

2026

Backsliding on democracy: A critical dialogue

E. Grillo, Zhaotian Luo, Monika Nalepa, Carlo Prato

Political Psychology

DOI

2025

Lying in Persuasion.

Zhaotian Luo, Arturas Rozenas

Games And Economic Behavior，Vol. 1520

DOI

2025

Institutional Change and Development from a Dynamic Perspective.

Zhaotian Luo, Tianyang Xi

China Economic Journal，Vol. 180, No. 20

DOI

2025

Is there really a dictator's dilemma? Information and repression in autocracy

Scott Gehlbach, Zhaotian Luo, Anton Shirikov, Dmitriy Vorobyev

American Journal Of Political Science

DOI

2024

[Review] Theories of Democratic Backsliding

Edoardo Grillo, Zhaotian Luo, Monika Nalepa, Carlo Prato

Annual Review Of Political Science，Vol. 27

DOI

2023

Ruling the Ruling Coalition: Information Control and Authoritarian Power-Sharing.

Zhaotian Luo, Arturas Rozenas

Quarterly Journal Of Political Science，Vol. 18, No. 2

DOI

2023

Democracy and Its Vulnerabilities: Dynamics of Democratic Backsliding.

Zhaotian Luo, Adam Przeworski

Quarterly Journal Of Political Science，Vol. 18, No. 1

DOI

2021

Leadership Styles and Political Survival of Chinese Communist Party Elites

Junyan Jiang, Zhaotian Luo

Journal Of Politics，Vol. 830, No. 20

DOI

2019

Why Are the Fastest Growing Countries Autocracies?.

Zhaotian Luo, Adam Przeworski

Journal Of Politics，Vol. 810, No. 20

DOI

2018

The Election Monitor’s Curse.

Zhaotian Luo, Arturas Rozenas

American Journal Of Political Science，Vol. 620, No. 1

DOI

2018

Strategies of Election Rigging: Tradeoffs, Determinants, and Consequences.

Zhaotian Luo, Arturas Rozenas

Quarterly Journal Of Political Science，Vol. 13, No. 1

DOI

2018

Politics and Information in Economic Reforms

Zhaotian Luo

Preprints

2026

A Relational Theory of Autocracy

Scott Gehlbach, Zhaotian Luo, Spencer Pantoja

SSRN Electronic Journal

DOI

2025

A Relational Theory of Power Alternation

Zhaotian Luo, Zanhui Liu, Yucheng Qiu, Shuyi Yu

SSRN Electronic Journal

DOI

2025

Governing Local Bureaucracy in a Centralized State

Zanhui Liu, Zhaotian Luo, Yucheng Qiu, Tianyang Xi, Hongding Zhu

SSRN Electronic Journal

DOI

2025

Repression with reputation concerns *

Alexei V. Zakharov, Zhaotian Luo

SSRN Electronic Journal

DOI

2024

Sustaining Democracy under the Shadow of Force

Zhaotian Luo, Adam Przeworski, Hongding Zhu

SSRN Electronic Journal

DOI

2024

Political Stake and Policy Experimentation

Shuo Chen, Zhaotian Luo, Tianyang Xi

SSRN Electronic Journal

DOI

2022

Self-Enforcing Power Dynamics

Zhaotian Luo

SSRN Electronic Journal

DOI

2019

Subversion by Stealth: Dynamics of Democratic Backsliding

Zhaotian Luo, Adam Przeworski

SSRN Electronic Journal

DOI

2017

Discriminatory Persuasion

Zhaotian Luo

SSRN Electronic Journal

DOI

2016

Ruling the Ruling Coalition: Information Control and Autocratic Governance

Zhaotian Luo, Arturas Rozenas

SSRN Electronic Journal

DOI

Zhaotian Luo

Biography

Education and Experience

Employment

Education

Selected Publications

Journal Articles

Backsliding under Contested Oversight.

Softening the iron cage: A theory of collusion and adaptation in bureaucracy

Backsliding on democracy: A critical dialogue

Lying in Persuasion.

Institutional Change and Development from a Dynamic Perspective.

Is there really a dictator's dilemma? Information and repression in autocracy

[Review] Theories of Democratic Backsliding

Ruling the Ruling Coalition: Information Control and Authoritarian Power-Sharing.

Democracy and Its Vulnerabilities: Dynamics of Democratic Backsliding.

Leadership Styles and Political Survival of Chinese Communist Party Elites

Why Are the Fastest Growing Countries Autocracies?.

The Election Monitor’s Curse.

Strategies of Election Rigging: Tradeoffs, Determinants, and Consequences.

Politics and Information in Economic Reforms

Preprints

A Relational Theory of Autocracy

A Relational Theory of Power Alternation

Governing Local Bureaucracy in a Centralized State

Repression with reputation concerns *

Sustaining Democracy under the Shadow of Force

Political Stake and Policy Experimentation

Self-Enforcing Power Dynamics

Subversion by Stealth: Dynamics of Democratic Backsliding

Discriminatory Persuasion

Ruling the Ruling Coalition: Information Control and Autocratic Governance

Research Interests