Ye Zhang

Bio

Ye Zhang (張燁) holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from MIT. Her research examines how the state, business, and society interact under authoritarian rule, with a regional focus on China. Her dissertation studies how the Chinese Party-state extends political control inside private firms while preserving market functioning, focusing on the expansion of Communist Party cells inside firms and their effects on business operations and employee behavior. 

She is currently developing this research into a book project on how authoritarian regimes govern through firms and how marketization can generate new forms of state capacity and political control. At the Fairbank Center, she will continue her research on authoritarian capitalism, workplace politics, and state–business relations in China. 

Research Interests: Comparative political economy; state-business relations; social policy; Chinese politics; workplace politics.