Dr. Crepaz was asked by Polity, a University of Chicago Press journal, to write an article as part of a symposium about Wiarda鈥檚 impact. 鈥淗e was a very influential academic, there鈥檚 no question about it.鈥� Crepaz鈥檚 article focuses specifically on Wiarda鈥檚 impact on the study of what is called neo-corporatism, which explores the relationships between labor, employer鈥檚 organizations, and the state in modern, industrialized democracies.

Wiarda conducted research by traveling to countries, interviewing a range of people such as politicians, journalists, taxi drivers and anybody else who was willing to answer his questions, and thus, attained a keen sense of the time and place of his research subjects. As Crepaz states, 鈥淲iarda was a researcher of the old school. However, his political culture perspective became eclipsed by a new approach that applied a more individualistic reasoning to the study of modern, industrialized democracies by the turn of the millennium.鈥� As a result, Wiarda鈥檚 inductive, qualitative approach to conducting social science with a strong emphasis on political culture research fell out of fashion and was replaced with a more deductive approach which relied much less on the rich tapestry of political culture and focused instead on a more parsimonious understanding of human behavior.

Crepaz鈥檚 article speaks to the changes in the field of comparative political economy and how that affected Wiarda鈥檚 work. However, it also discusses the more recent turn back to identity politics and illustrates that in a way, political culture actually still matters. Crepaz notes, 鈥淚f we are worrying more about which bathroom people can use, as opposed to what it takes for people to earn a living wage, then political culture is back on the map.鈥�

Crepaz sees the more recent turns toward identity politics as 鈥渁n expression of a renaissance of political culture.鈥� In that sense, Crepaz argues, Wiarda was right all along.

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What are you working on that you’re most excited about?
MA: I鈥檓 currently working on a book about government formation in African democracies. I鈥檓 particularly interested in how different parties with legislative seats bargain with each other, and how the president or prime minister builds a strategic coalition out of the parties in the legislature.

What was your favorite part of your college experience?
MA: My favorite part of college was trying classes in lots of different departments, and getting involved in activities like orchestra and the student newspaper.

Please tell us about your research interests.
MA: My research examines executive-legislative relations in African democracies. One aspect of executive-legislative relations that I study is the formation of governments, and how the composition of the legislature influences the type of government that forms. While my work covers African politics broadly, I am especially interested in French-speaking African countries 鈥� I have spent time in Burkina Faso and Senegal for my research.

How do you like to spend your time when you’re not working?
MA: My hobbies are running and playing the violin. I love signing up for half marathons, and I鈥檒l be running the AthHalf in October!

What is your favorite food?
MA: It would be easier to tell you what I don鈥檛 like! I especially love trying new foods from all over the world.

Please tell us one fun fact about you.
MA: I taught English in France after I graduated from college.

What are you looking forward to in the coming year?
MA: I鈥檓 very excited to teach classes on comparative politics in 快猫短视频, and get to know my way around Athens!

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?
MA: I think I have two categories: my greatest physical accomplishment was running a marathon, and my greatest mental accomplishment was defending my dissertation!

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
MA: Teleportation!

What advice do you have for 快猫短视频 students?
MA: Get involved in clubs and activities 鈥� it鈥檚 a great way to meet people with common interests. Also, seek out information about the resources that UGA has for you! There are tons of opportunities for scholarships, research opportunities, and internships 鈥� but you have to find them!

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In his book, Han discusses the sophisticated censorship system established by the Chinese government as well as the recruitment, training, and deployment of government-hired commentators popularly known as the 鈥渇ifty-cent army.鈥� 聽However, Han found that in China, the government control over online discourse is not completely successful as netizens (internet users) constantly outsmart state censorship. Even so, the internet has thus far failed to pose a viable threat to authoritarianism as one might expect.

The underlying reason, quite ironically, is precisely the pluralization of online expression. 聽Citizens voice a spectrum of views and issues ranging from staunch support of the government to criticism of the government, with the latter being neutralized and diluted by pro-government voices. To support his argument, Han details how nationalistic netizens who see themselves as patriots have fought against internet users who criticize the government. By discussing the surprising resilience of authoritarian rule in China despite the challenges of the internet, 鈥淐ontesting Cyberspace in China鈥� questions the democratizing power of the internet.

Dr. Rongbin Han has also started research for his next book which will look specifically at Chinese internet novels as vehicles of political experiences online and how the state has attempted to control, co-opt, and manage this process. Han explains that so far the state has been able to maintain control over internet novels to a large extent by making website editors responsible for censoring their authors鈥� writing.

However, some authors and readers circumvent the censorship to discuss political ideas by using coded language. In this way, the internet novels are being used as a form of political expression, despite censorship. However, the managed nature of the production and consumption of internet novels makes them instrumental for legitimizing authoritarian rule overall.

Han hopes to have this book complete in the next year.

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