Assistant Professor of Government and Asian Studies Christopher Heurlin’s latest book examines a curious aspect of Chinese politics—the role that public protests play in political life, particularly regarding economic issues.

Responsive Authoritarianism in China: Land, Protests, and Policy Making, (Cambridge University Press, 2017) asks why a regime that brutally repressed protests in Tiananmen Square early three decades ago has since become very responsive to public demonstrations.

To mark the book’s publication, Heurlin recently gave a presentation to the Bowdoin community, with follow up questions from Associate Professor of Government and Asian Studies Henry Laurence.

Listen to the event (audio may take a few seconds to load)