ABOUT RESEARCH TEACHING CONTACT

Linan Yao

I recently earned my Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University and currently hold a postdoctoral position at Vanderbilt University. My research examines propaganda through entertainment in the context of China. My substantive interest lies at the intersection of political economy, political communication, and Chinese politics. Methodologically, I employ a combination of field experiments, observational analyses, and qualitative fieldwork. My other work appeared in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .

Book project

Popular Propaganda in Pop Culture: How China Sells Its Ideology

My book-length dissertation explores how autocracies can infuse propaganda into popular entertainment to shape public opinion. Despite the common perception of authoritarian propaganda as unengaging, China has reinvigorated once-marginalized propaganda in its domestic entertainment scene. My research delves into the strategies behind this resurgence, uncovering how the Chinese regime enlists the private sector to craft propaganda of high entertainment value. I show that by making propaganda interesting and popular, the regime not only captures the attention of its domestic populace but also persuades the vast majority of the audience to perceive the regime in a more favorable light. Full dissertation here.

Publication

Electoral college bias and the 2020 presidential election, with Robert S. Erikson, Karl Sigman. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2020. Paper here.

Working Papers

Selling Ideology: How China Engages Cultural Elites to Popularize Propaganda Films (R&R). Older version of the aper here.

From Screen to Mind: An Experimental Study of Blockbuster Propaganda’s Effects on Public Opinion in China. Paper here.

Old Wine in New Bottles: Dressing Authoritarian Propaganda in Entertainment, with Hanzhang Liu Paper here.

Courses

I have taught the following courses.

Chinese Political System

Undergraduate Level, Vanderbilt University

Role: Instructor

Syllabus

Experimental Research

Graduate Level, Columbia University

Role: TA for Donald Green

Evaluations

Game Theory

Graduate Level, Columbia University

Role: TA for John Huber

Evaluations

Introduction to Human Rights

Undergraduate Level, Columbia University

Role: TA for Andrew Nathan

Evaluations

WHERE I WORK

I'd love to hear from you!

Nashville, TN
Email: ly2396@columbia.com