Professional Affiliation

Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame

Expert Bio

Karrie J. Koesel is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame where she specializes in the study of contemporary Chinese and Russian politics. She is the author of Religion and Authoritarianism: Cooperation, Conflict and the Consequences (Cambridge University Press, 2014) and co-editor of Citizens & the State in Authoritarian Regimes: Comparing China & Russia (Oxford University Press, 2021). 

Her research has been published in World Politics, Perspectives on Politics, The China Quarterly, Post-Soviet Affairs, Economics and Politics, Demokratizatsiya, and Politics and Religion, among others and supported by the Minerva Research Initiative, John Templeton Foundation, Spencer Foundation, Social Science Research Council (SSRC), Fulbright program, International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX).

Koesel is currently working on a book, Learning to Be Loyal: Political Education in Authoritarian Regimes, which explores how authoritarian leaders cultivate popular legitimacy and loyalty among youth.

Wilson Center Project

Educating the Next Generation: Political Education and Legitimacy in China

Project Summary

All states use their educational systems to build popular support for the nation and the regime. China is no exception to this generalization. What better investment in the survival of communist party rule is there than instilling in young people a strong appreciation of their country, its political and economic systems, and leadership? This study analyzes the role and implications of political education in China from Mao to Xi. It investigates what political knowledge is being transmitted to youth and how it changes over time, how young people are socialized to be patriotic citizens, and how political education portrays China’s rise and its strategic competitors, including the United States and liberal democracy. This study will inform scholarship and policymakers about micro-foundations of political legitimacy in China and has implications for understanding the evolving dynamics of U.S.-China relations.