Victor Shih

Victor Shih is an expert on the politics of Chinese banking policies, fiscal policies, and exchange rate, as well as the elite politics of China. He is the author of two books published by the Cambridge University Press, "Factions and Finance in China: Elite Conflict and Inflation" and "Coalitions of the Weak: Elite Politics in China from Mao’s Stratagem to the Rise of Xi."  He is also editor of "Economic Shocks and Authoritarian Stability: Duration, Institutions and Financial Conditions," published by the University of Michigan Press. Shih also has published widely in a number of journals, including The American Political Science Review, Comparative Political Studies, Journal of Politics, The China Quarterly, and Party Politics.

Shih is an associate professor of political economy, incoming director of the 21st Century China Center, and the Ho Miu Lam Chair in China and Pacific Relations. He is currently engaged in a study of the activities of the Chinese elite and of Chinese defense firms around the world. He is also maintaining a large database on biographical information of elites in China.

At GPS, Shih teaches courses including Financing the Chinese Miracle, Chinese Sources and Methods, Chinese Politics and Political Economy of Authoritarian Regimes.  

Prior to joining UC San Diego, Shih was a professor of political science at Northwestern University and former principal for The Carlyle Group.

Education and CV

Ph.D., Government, Harvard University, 2003
B.A., East Asian Studies, George Washington University, 1997
CV

GPS Spotlight

Working Papers

Lee, Jonghyuk and Victor Shih, “Locking in Fair Weather Friends: Assessing the Fate of Chinese Communist Elite when their Patrons Fall from Power,” 2018 (PDF)

Liu, Mingxing, Victor Shih and Pengfei Zhang, "Threats and Political Instability in Authoritarian Regimes: A Dynamic Theoretical Analysis," 2018 (PDF)

Liu, Mingxing, Victor Shih, Dong Zhang and Luke Qi Zhang, "Elite Cleavage and the Rise of Capitalism under Authoritarianism: A Tale of Two Provinces in China," 2018 (PDF)

Lee, Jonghyuk and Victor Shih, “Are Factions Self-Enforcing Contracts: Identifying the Impact of Patrons’ Promotions and Exits on the Careers of Clients,” 2016 (PDF)

Liu, Mingxing, Victor Shih and Dong Zhang, “The Fall of the Old Guards: Explaining Decentralization in China,” 2016 (PDF)