Dr. Tianguang MENG, Professor
Department of Political Science
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Chinese Politics, Politics of Information, Digital Governance, and Computational Social Science
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Tsinghua University, School of Social Sciences
Tenured Professor, Department of Political Science, 2022-
Tenured Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, 2019-2022
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, 2016-2019
Adjunct Professor, Schwarzman Scholars, 2016-
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, 2015- 2016
Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Political Science, 2013- 2015
EDUCATION
Peking University, School of Government
Ph.D., Political Science (China Politics), September 2007-July 2013
B. A., Political Science and Public Administration, September 2003-July 2007
PUBLIC SERVICES
Party Secretary, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University
Associate Dean, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University
Vice Director, Lab on Computational Social Science and State Governance, Tsinghua University
Executive Director, Research Center on Data and Governance, Tsinghua University
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES
University of California, San Diego, School of Global Policy & Strategy, 2013- 2015
Harvard University, Department of Government, August 2011-September 2012
PUBLICATIONS
Peer-Reviewed Articles (English, *correspondence author)
Song, W., Zhang, J. & Meng, Tianguang*. Digital Corporatism: State-Business Dynamics of Digital State Capacity Building in China. Journal of Chinese Political Science (2025), online first.
Xu, J., Jiang, J., & Meng, Tianguang. (2025). New Socialist Men (and Women)? Communist Industrial Workplace and Political Engagement in China. Comparative Political Studies, online first.
Cao, Jiongyi., Tianguang Meng*. Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence in Digital China: Evidence from Online Survey and Social Media. Chinese Journal of Sociology. 2025, Online first.
Jin, Shuai., Yue Hu, Tianguang Meng. Why Economic Inequality Undermines Political Trust: An Analysis of Mechanisms. Public Opinion Quarterly. 2024, Online first.
Zeyu Zhao, Xiaoshan Zhou, Yuhan Zheng, Tianguang Meng, Dongping Fang. Enhancing infrastructural dynamic responses to critical residents’ needs for urban resilience through machine learning and hypernetwork analysis. Sustainable Cities and Society,2024, 106,105366.
Wu, Jason & Meng, Tianguang*. The Nature of Ideology in Urban China. Comparative Politics. 2023, 55(3).
Huang, Zhongbin., Yang, Zesen., & Tianguang Meng*. National Identity of Locality: The State, Patriotism, and Nationalism in Cyber China. Journal of Chinese Political Science. 2023, 28: 51-83.
Lu, Fangzhu., Huang, Zhongbin., & Tianguang Meng. Official Media as Emotional Valves: How Official Media Guides Nationalism on Chinese Social Media. Asian Survey. 2023, 63 (4): 611–640.
Wang Xinxi. &, Meng Tianguang*. Internet involvement, information consumption, and political participation in urban China. Chinese Journal of Sociology 2022.
Tianguang Meng., & Zheng Su. When top-down meets bottom-up: Local officials and selective responsiveness within fiscal policymaking in China. World Development. 2021,142,105443.
Zheng, Siyao & Meng, Tianguang*. The Paradox of Responsiveness and Social Protest in China. Journal of Contemporary China.2021, 30:128, 212-232.
Dai Y, Li Y, Cheng C Y, Zhao H, Meng T. Government-Led or Public-Led? Chinese Policy Agenda Setting during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice 2021, 23(3):157-175.
Zhu, Xufeng, Meng, Tianguang. Geographical Leadership Mobility and Policy Isomorphism: Narrowing the Regional Inequality of Social Spending in China. Policy Studies Journal. 2020; 48: 806– 832.
Meng. Tianguang., & Yang. Zesen. Variety of Responsive Institutions and Quality of Responsiveness in Cyber China. China Review.2020, 20(3): 13-42.
Li, Hui & Meng, Tianguang*. Corruption Experience and Public Perceptions of Anti-corruption Crackdowns: Experimental Evidence from China. Journal of Chinese Political Science. 2020, 25(1): 431-456.
Jiang, Junyan., Meng, Tianguang., & Zhang, Qing. From Internet to social safety net: The policy consequences of online participation in China. Governance, 2019 32(3):531-546.
Li, Feng., Liu, Yang., & Meng, Tianguang*. Discursive Strategy of Opinion Expression and Government Response in China: Text Analysis Based on Online Petitions. Telematics and Informatics, 2019, 42, 101238.
Zhang, Kaiping., & Meng, Tianguang. Political Elites in Deliberative Democracy: Beliefs and Behaviors of Chinese Officials. Japanese Journal of Political Science. 2018, 19:643-662.
Meng, Tianguang., Pan, Jennifer., & Yang, Ping. Conditional Receptivity to Citizen Participation: Evidence from a Survey Experiment in China. Comparative Political Studies, 2017, 50(4): 399-433.
Su, Zheng., & Meng, Tianguang*. Selective responsiveness: Online public demands and government responsiveness in China. Social Science Research. 2016(59):52-67.
Im, Dong-Kyun., & Meng, Tianguang*. The policy–opinion nexus: The impact of social protection programs on welfare policy preferences in China. International Journal of Public Opinion Research. 2016(28):241-268.
Zhi, Qiang., & Meng, Tianguang. Funding allocation, inequality, and scientific research output: an empirical study based on the life science sector of Natural Science Foundation of China. Scientometrics. 2016. 106(2): 603-628.
Thomas Bernauer*, Robert Gampfer, Tianguang Meng, Yu-Sung Su. Could more civil society involvement increase public support for climate policy-making? Evidence from a survey experiment in China. Global Environmental Change 2016 (40): 1-12.
Meng. Tianguang., & Chen. He*. Multilevel analysis of social capital and self-rated health: Evidence from China. Health & Place. 2014 (27): 38-44.
Peer-Reviewed Articles (Chinese)
Meng Tianguang, Zhang Jing. Experimental Methods Based on Big Data: Frontier Advances in Experimental Political Science in the AI Era. Southeast Academic Research, 2025(2): 57–69.
Meng Tianguang. Computational Political Science: Theoretical and Methodological Paradigms in the Intelligent Digital Era. World Social Sciences, 2025(1): 95–115+244–245.
Meng Tianguang, Wu Peilin. Algorithmic Politics: Coupling Logic and Political Effects of Algorithmic Interventions in State Governance. Journal of Shandong University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), 2024(5): 134–147.
Meng Tianguang, Yan Yu. Liberal Arts Laboratories: The “Infrastructure” for Social Science Research in the Digital Age. Chinese Social Sciences Review, 2024(2): 21–30+157.
Huang Minxuan, Meng Tianguang*. From the Mass Line to Whole-Process People’s Democracy: The Political Logic of the People’s Proposal Solicitation System. Social Sciences, 2024(6): 112–123+135.
Zhang Jingxian, Meng Tianguang*. Linking the State and Farmers: Party Building, Administrative Embedding, and Grassroots Elections—An Empirical Study Based on the Poverty Alleviation Campaign. Journal of Central China Normal University (Humanities and Social Sciences Edition), 2024, 63(3): 63–76.
Wang Ye, Meng Tianguang*. Horizontal Power Structure and Local Government Responsiveness: Functional Division and Interdepartmental Coordination. Academic Monthly, 2024, 56(2): 103–114.
Wang Xinyi, Meng Tianguang*. Politics of Knowledge: Knowledge Production and Application in State Governance. Exploration and Free Views, 2024(2): 6–24+177.
Meng Tianguang, Siyao Zheng. Information Theory of State: A Perspective from Information Politics. Political Science Research, 2023 (6).
Meng Tianguang. Digital Governance Ecology: Theoretical Iteration and Model Evolution of Digital Government. Political Science Research, 2022 (4).
Meng Tianguang. Politics of Welfare Reform: Institutional Design, Policy Performance and Political Trust. Journal of Central China Normal University (Humanities and Social Sciences Edition), 2022, 61(3): 66-79.
Meng Tianguang. Process Based Governance of the Welfare Regime: Redistribution, Quality of Government and Political Trust. Administrative Tribune, 2022, 28(1): 31-39.
Zhao Jinxu, Zhao Juan, Meng Tianguang*. Evaluating the Development of Digital Government: Theoretical Framework and Empirical Study. Chinese Public Administration, 2022(6): 49-58.
Meng Tianguang, Li Zhenzhen. Governing Algorithms: The Ethical Principles of Algorithmic Risk and Its Governance Logic. Academic Forum, 2022, 45(1): 9-20.
Zheng Siyao, Meng Tianguang*. Governmental Information Disclosure and Quality of Governance during Public Crisis: Based on a Survey Experiment. Review of Public Administration and Policy, 2022, 11(1): 88-103.
Yan Yu, Meng Tianguang*. Correcting or Reinforcing: Revisiting the Relationship between Western Democracies and Economic Inequality. Foreign Social Sciences, 2022(1):108-119.
Yan Yu, Meng Tianguang*. Data Typology, Ownership and Governing Principles. Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University (Social Science Edition), 2022, 42(2): 103-111.
Meng Tianguang, Huang Zhongbin, Zhang Xiaojin. Social Governance Innovation Driven by Government Hotlines in Megacity: A Case Study on Beijing’s Reform of Responding to Whistles. Journal of Public Management, 2021, 18(2): 1-12.
Wang Xinxi, Meng Tianguang*. Internet Involvement, Information Consumption and Political Participation in Urban China . Society, 2021, 41(1): 178-206.
Meng Tianguang. Elements, Mechanisms, and Approaches towards Digital Transformation of Government: The Dual Drivers from Technology Empowerment to the State and Society. Governance Research, 2021, 37(1): 5-14.
Zheng Siyao, Meng Tianguang*. Information Politics of Environmental Protection: How Central Inspection Drives Public Participation?. Comparison of Economic and Social Systems, 2021(1): 80-92.
Meng Tianguang, Zhao Jinxu, Zheng Zhaoyou. Will Reshaping the Bureaucratic Relationship Enhance the Government's Responsiveness? A Policy Experiment Based on the "whistle and Report" Reform in Beijing. Chinese Public Administration, 2021(4): 31-39.
Meng Tianguang. Responsive Government: The Diversity and Institutional Performance of Online Political Deliberation System. Social Science in China, 2019, 40(4): 148-172.
Meng Tianguang, Zhao Juan. Internet Search Behavior and Public Concern in the Big Data Era. Xuehai, 2019(3): 41-48.
Meng Tianguang. Big Data Approach and Causal Inference in Political Science. Political Science Research, 2018(3): 29-38.
Meng Tianguang, Ning Jing. The Political Consequences of Internet "Depoliticization". Exploration, 2018(3): 63-76.
Meng Tianguang, Zhao Juan. Internet Driven Government Responsiveness: Institutional Diffusion and Operational Models of Online Deliberation. Journal of Shanghai Institute of Administration, 2018, 19(3): 36-44.
Li Hui, Meng Tianguang*. Corruption Experience and Corruption Perceptions: Comparing Evidence from List Experiments and Direct Questioning. Society, 2017, 37(6): 194-215.
Meng Tianguang. From causal effect to causal mechanism: the Chinese path of experimental political science. Exploration, 2017(5): 30-38.
Meng Tianguang, Zheng Siyao. Information, Communication and Influence: Government Social Media in Internet Governance—— An Exploratory Study through Combining Big Data and Small Data Analysis. Review of Public Administration, 2017, 10(1): 29-52.
Meng Tianguang, Ji Chengyuan. Revisiting Digital Democracy: Internet Intervention and Internet Political Participation: Findings Based on Enumeration Experiments. Journal of Tsinghua University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), 2016,31(4): 43-54.
Meng Tianguang, Tian Dong. Mass Line and Modernization of National Governance: Theoretical Analysis and Empirical Evidence. Political Science Research, 2016(3): 25-35.
Meng Tianguang, Yang Ping, Su Zheng. Public Opinion and Local Fiscal Decision Making in Authoritarian China: Based on Survey Experiment to Local Government. Journal of Public Management, 2015, 12(3): 57-68.
Meng Tianguang, Li Feng. Political Interaction in Cyberspace: Citizens' Appeals and Government Responsiveness: Analysis of Big Data Based on the National Online Political Inquiry Platform. Journal of Tsinghua University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), 2015, 30(3): 17-29.
Meng Tianguang, Su Zheng. Peer Effect and Neighborhood Effect: Political Logic of the Expansion of Non-tax Revenue in China. Comparison of Economic and Social Systems, 2015(2): 165-176.
Meng Tianguang, Chen Hao. Inequality, Poverty, and Village Democracy: Evidence from 400 villages in Rural China. Journal of Public Management, 2014, 11(2): 129-138.
Meng Tianguang. Political Trust in Transitional China: Measurement Approaches and Overall Perspectives. Journal of Central China Normal University (Humanities and Social Sciences Edition), 2014, 53(2): 1-10.
Meng Tianguang. Chinese people’s Perception of Distributive Justice in Transitional China: Outcome Justice and Opportunity Justice. Society, 2012, 32(6): 108-134.
Meng Tianguang, Yang Ming. Governance Performance and Political Trust in Transitional China: from "Economic Growth Legitimacy" to "Public Goods Legitimacy". Comparative Economic & Social Systems, 2012(4): 122-135.
Yang Ming, Meng Tianguang, Fang Ran. Social Trust in a Changing Society: Stock and Change from 1990 to 2010. Journal of Peking University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), 2011, 48(6): 100-109.
Meng Tianguang, Ma Quanjun. A Research of Relationship between Social Capital and the Sense of Civic Participation: An Empirical Analysis Based on National Representative Samples. Chinese Public Administration, 2011(3): 107-111.
Books
Meng Tianguang (ed.). Introduction to Computational Political Science. Renmin University of China Press, forthcoming.
Meng Tianguang, Zhang Xiaojin. China Digital Government Development Report 2023. Economic Science Press, 2025.
Meng Tianguang (ed.). Introduction to Intelligent Governance. Tsinghua University Press, 2023.
Meng Tianguang, Zhang Bo. Citizen Demand-Driven Digital Government Development: Theory and Practice. Economic Science Press, 2023.
Meng Tianguang. Process-Oriented State Governance: The Generation, Effect and Mechanism of Quality of Government. Commercial Press, 2022.
Meng Tianguang et al. Introduction to Intelligent Governance. Tsinghua University Press, 2022.
Meng Tianguang, Guo Fenglin .(translate), Martin Gilens. Affluence and Influence: Economic Inequality and Political Power in America. Shanghai People’s Press, 2021.
Meng Tianguang, Zhang Xiaojin. Development of China's Digital Government. Economic Science Press, 2021.
RESEARCH PROJECTS
National Social Science Foundation Major Project (2018-2023) "Project on Intelligent Social Governance System Based on Big Data"
National Social Science Foundation Major Project (2016-2020) "Project on Digital Technology and State Capability"
National Social Science Foundation (2015-2019) "Research on Measuring and Promoting Qualify of Government in China from the Perspective of State Capability"
Beijing Young Talents Program for Outstanding Scientists in Universities (2024–2029): Research on the Construction of Digital Government and Intelligent Governance Systems in Megacities.
Major Project of Beijing Social Science Fund (2024): Theoretical and Practical Research on Building a Modern Governance System in Megacities in Beijing.Key Project of Beijing Social Science Fund (2022-2023) "Research on Digital Transformation of Litigation"
Beijing Science and Technology Plan (2018-2020) "Research on the Application of Big Data in Social Governance"
Beijing Social Science Fund (2015-2019) "Research on the Guiding Mechanism and Effect of Network Public Opinion in the Era of Big Data"
Beijing Natural Science Foundation Youth Program (2014-2018) "Research on Government Network Public Opinion Governance Mechanism Based on Big Data"
Tsinghua University Research Program (2022-2024) "Theoretical and Empirical Research on Digital Government from the Perspective of Computational Politics"
HONORS & REWARDS
National Outstanding Achievement Award on Humanities and Social Sciences in China (2024)
Changjiang Distinguished Professor (2024)
Shanghai Philosophy and Social Sciences Outstanding Achievement Award (2023)
Beijing Philosophy and Social Sciences Outstanding Achievement Award (2021)
China Political Science Association "Outstanding Achievement Award for Young Political Scientist" (2020)
Changjiang Youth Scholars (2019)
The author of the important reprint source of the newspaper materials copied by Journal Copies of RUC (2019)
Shanghai Philosophy and Social Science Outstanding Achievement Award (2018)
Outstanding Young Talents of Beijing Natural Science Foundation (2017)
The 4th "Parkson-Tsinghua Journal Excellent Paper Award" (2017)
American Political Science Association Sage Award for Best Paper in Comparative Politics (2017)
First Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Social Research of Young Faculties in Beijing (2016)
First Prize of Beijing Higher Education Outstanding Teaching Achievement Award (2022)
First Prize of Tsinghua University Outstanding Teaching Achievement (2021)
Second Prize of Tsinghua University Outstanding Teaching Achievement (2021)
Award for Outstanding Advisor for Doctoral Dissertation, Tsinghua University (2021)
Excellent Worker of Tsinghua University (2018)
The Prize of the 8th Tsinghua University Teaching Competition for Young Teachers (2018)
Tsinghua University Academic New Talent Award (2017)
Cyrus Tang Young Scholar of Tsinghua University (2016)
Outstanding Postdoctoral Fellow of Tsinghua University (2015)
Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award of Peking University (2013)
TEACHING
Principles of Political Science, 2021-
Logit of Politics, 2023-
Chinese Political Economy (Taught in English), 2024-
Introduction to Public Administration, 2015-
Political Economics of Chinese Reform, 2019-
Chinese Political Institution (Taught in English), 2016-
Big Data Analytics in Political Science, 2016-
Experimental Political Science, 2020-
Seminar on Big Data and Social Science (Tsinghua), 2014-
SERVICE & PROFESSIONALS
Chinese Association of Political Science, Special Committee of Youth Political Scholars, Vice Chair, July 2020-
China Data Element Program, Emerging Scholar Awardee, 2024
Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, 9th Outstanding Research Achievement Awards in Humanities and Social Sciences of Chinese Universities, Youth Achievement Awardee, 2023
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Evaluation Committee on Chinese Journals of Humanities and Social Sciences, Member, April 2022-National Research Center on New liberal arts of the Ministry of Education, Research Fellow, June 2022-
Chinese Federation on Computational Social Science, Secretary General, September 2019-
Tsinghua University, Tsinghua Lab on Computational Social Science and State Governance, Vice Director, May 2021-
Tsinghua University, Tsinghua Computational Social Science Institute, Executive Director, September 2017-
Tsinghua University, State Governance Research Institute, Research Fellow, January 2017-
Tsinghua University, Research Center on Data and Governance, Director, September 2015-
Peking University, Institute of State Governance Studies, Research Fellow, January 2019-
Peking University, Institute of Social Science Survey, Adjunct Research Fellow, April 2015-
Peking University, The Research Center for Contemporary China, Adjunct Research Fellow, September 2013-
Associate Editor in Chief, Journal of Social Computing, 2020-
Member of the editorial board for Chinese journals including E-Government, Journal of Public Administration, and Public Administration and Policy Review.
Journal Reviewer: American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, British Journal of Political Science, Policy Study Journal, Social Science Research, Political Behavior, Social Science & Medicine, International Political Science Review, and Oxford University Press; and Chinese Journals such as including Chinese Social Sciences, Sociological Studies, and CASS Journal of Political Science.
CONFERENCES
American Political Science Association (2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024)
Midwest Political Science Association (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019)
International Communication Association (2021, 2022)
Association for Asian Studies annual meetings (2019)
Social Computing International Conference (2019, 2021), Tsinghua-Chicago University
International Conference on Computational Social Science (2018,2021), Tsinghua-Peking University
