We often attribute populism’s rise to structural factors — economic insecurity, digital technology, and cultural backlash. But Manoel Gehrke and Feng Yang reveal a more immediate trigger: former leaders' conviction for corruption. In less democratic contexts, these rulings open the door for governments to amplify personalistic appeals — and boost their popularity
Assistant Professor, Center for Social Research, Peking University
Feng is a scholar of comparative politics and political economy.
His research focuses on state-business relations, corruption, and public opinion in developing countries and authoritarian regimes.
His work has been published in journals such as Governance, International Studies Review, Journal of Theoretical Politics, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Political Science Research and Methods, and The China Quarterly, among others.
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