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S.J.D. Candidate
sguo at sjd.law.harvard.edu

Dissertation

Authoritarian Constitutionalism Revisited

The extant theories on the roles of constitutions in non-liberal settings share a common regime-centric perspective that may limit their explanatory power. Instead of asking what is authoritarian constitutionalism in an ontological sense or what are the benefits of having a constitution for the regime, my S.J.D. project seeks to reveal how the constitution is received, viewed, utilized, and animated by different audiences and actors. Drawing on first-hand materials and qualitative research, my dissertation will propose an analytical framework zooming in on the actors-audiences dynamic and depict a more context-based and fine-grained picture of authoritarian constitutions.

Fields of Research and Supervisors

  • Chinese Law and Politics with Professor William P. Alford, Harvard Law School, Principal Faculty Supervisor
  • Comparative Constitutional Law with Professor Vicki C. Jackson, Harvard Law School
  • Constitutional Review and Theory with Professor Mark Tushnet, Harvard Law School

Additional Research Interests

  • Comparative Politics
  • Legal History
  • Law and Society
  • Law and Anthropology
  • Public Law and Global Governance
  • Critical Legal Studies

Education

  • Harvard Law School, S.J.D. Candidate, 2024 – Present
  • Harvard Law School, LL.M. Program 2023-2024 (requirements fulfilled, degree waived)
  • Peking University, LL.M. in Constitutional and Administrative Law, 2023
  • China University of Political Science and Law, LL.B., 2019

Academic Appointments and Fellowships

  • Harvard Law School, 2024-2025, Graduate Program Fellow, LL.M. Advisor
  • Harvard Law School, 2023, F.Y. Chang Scholar
  • Peking University, Yuanpei College, 2021, Teaching Fellow

Additional Information

  • Languages: English, Chinese
  • Bar Admission: China

Last Updated: June 17, 2024