Felix Wiebrecht

My research is located at the intersection of public policy, public administration, and comparative politics. Broadly, it explores how political institutions and actors shape policymaking processes and outcomes, particularly in non-democratic contexts. I also research the reverse mechanism of how policies and governance characteristics affect political dynamics. I study these questions with a regional focus on China and Southeast Asia as well as cross-nationally. My research employs multiple methods, including causal inference, panel regressions, text-as-data, and elite surveys.

My research has been published in journals including British Journal of Political Science, The China Quarterly, Political Research Quarterly, Policy & Politics, and Journal of East Asian Studies.

Prior to coming to Liverpool, I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg and continue to be affiliated with V-Dem as a Research Associate. I received my PhD in Government and Public Administration from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2022.

I also offer expert consulting services drawing on my academic research in political institutions, regime transformations, and Southeast and East Asian politics. I have previously worked with organisations such as USAID, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, and Southeast Asian Parliamentarians Against Corruption (SEAPAC).