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Dr. John A. Donaldson

Associate Professor, Political Science, Singapore Management University

About

John Donaldson researches politics, rural development and poverty in China and elsewhere, having conducted extensive fieldwork in rural India and Thailand, as well as in Singapore.


Over the last decade, Professor Donaldson has authored and co-authored numerous journal and conference papers as well as other academic publications on issues such as poverty reduction and economic growth in China, the transformation of China’s agrarian system and central-provincial relations in China. John Donaldson is the author of Small Works: Poverty and Economic Development in Southwestern China (Cornell University Press, 2011).


Professor Donaldson has a PhD in Political Science from the George Washington University, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Chinese Language and Literature and Psychology from Washington University in St Louis.

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Poverty in China

What explains the success and failure of local attempts to reduce poverty?

China's thousands of local governments creates a laboratory for us to understand what works and what doesn't in the war against poverty.

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  • Donaldson, John A. 2011. Small Works: Poverty and Economic Development in Southwestern China. Ithaca NY: Cornell University Press.                                                                                              Publisher Page

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  • Tan, Deborah, Track Tan, Shao Tong Tang and John A. Donaldson. 2019. "Obstacles to Accessing Pro-Poor Microcredit Programs in China: Evidence from Penggan Village, Guizhou Province." Modern China. 42(2): 127-153.                                                                    Publisher Page   Pre-Publication Version

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  • Lor, Jean Junying, Shelly Kwa and John A. Donaldson. 2019. “Making Ethnic Tourism Good for the Poor.” Annals of Tourism Research 76:140-152.                                                                                     Publisher Page   Pre-Publication Version

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Growth is Not Always Good for the Poor

Does a growing economy lift all boats? Of course not!

Of course not! But why does economic growth sometimes fail to help the poor? Under what conditions can slowly growing economies reduce poverty?

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  • Donaldson, John A. 2008. “Growth Is Good for Whom, When, How? Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction in Exceptional Cases.” World Development 36(11):2127-43.                                            Publisher Page   Pre-Publication Version 

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  • Liu, Benjamin, Siyuan Yeo, and John A. Donaldson. 2019. "Exploring the Causes of Immiserizing Growth: A Comparison of Pathways." In Immiserizing Growth: When Growth Fails the Poor, edited by Paul Shaffer, Ravi Kanbur and Richard Sandbrook. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, pp 106-135. 10.1093/oso/9780198832317.001.0001.                                         Publisher Page   Pre-Publication Version

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  • Moore, Joel, and John A. Donaldson. 2016. "Human-Scale Economics: Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction in Northeastern Thailand." World Development 85:1-15.                                      Publisher Page   Pre-Publication Version

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Rural Restructuring in China

As rural economies modernize, what happens to peasants and small farmers?

Modernization of agriculture implies land consolidation, urbanization, and an increasing role for agribusiness. Can smallholder farmers benefit under these conditions?

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  • Zhang, Q. Forrest, and John A. Donaldson. 2008. “The Rise of Agrarian Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics: Agricultural Modernization, Agribusiness and Collective Land Rights.” China Journal 60:25-47.                                                                            Publisher Page   Pre-Publication Version

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  • Zhang, Q. Forrest and John A. Donaldson. 2010. “From Peasants to Farmers: Peasant Differentiation, Labor Regimes and Land-rights Institutions in China’s Agrarian Transition.” Politics and Society .38(4):458-489.                                                                                Publisher Page   Pre-Publication Version

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  • Zhang, Q. Forrest and John A. Donaldson. 2013. “China’s Agrarian Reform and the Privatization of Land - a Contrarian View.” Journal of Contemporary China 22(80):255-272.                                          Publisher Page   Pre-Publication Version

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  • Hu, Zhanping, Forrest Zhang, and John A. Donaldson. 2017. "Farmers’ Cooperatives in China: A Typology of Fraud and Failure." China Journal 78:1-24.                                                                  Publisher Page   Pre-Publication Version

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Central-local Relations

The mountains are high, and the Emperor is far away

Decentralization in China has ushered in a constant dance - local discretion and central control. How does this play in the provinces?

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  • Donaldson, John A, ed. 2017. Assessing the Balance of Power in Central–Local Relations in China. New York and London: Routledge.  Publisher Page  

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  • Donaldson, John A. 2009. “Why Do Similar Areas Adopt Different Developmental Strategies? A Study of Two Puzzling Chinese Provinces.” Journal of Contemporary China 18(60):421-44.        Publisher Page   Pre-Publication Version

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  • Donaldson, John A. 2015. “Chapter 11: Regional Development Policy and Regional Inequality.” In The Handbook of the Politics of China edited by David S G Goodman. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, pp. 197-204.                                                                                          Publisher Page   Pre-Publication Version

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  • Donaldson, John A. 2009. “Provinces: Paradoxical Politics, Problematic Partners,” in Chung, J. H. and Lam, T.C. (ed.), China's Local Administration: Traditions and Changes in the Sub-National Hierarchy. London: Routledge, pp. 14-38.                                      Publisher Page   Pre-Publication Version 

Unmet Needs in Singapore

Singapore has poverty, too.

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  • Smith, Catherine J., John A. Donaldson, Sanushka Mudaliar, Mumtaz Md Kadir, and Lam Keong Yeoh. 2015. “A Handbook on Inequality, Poverty and Unmet Social Needs in Singapore.” Singapore: Singapore Management University, Lien Centre for Social Innovation.  Publisher Page

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  • Donaldson, John A., Catherine J. Smith, Balambigai Balakrishnan, Mumtaz Md Kadir, and Sanushka Mudaliar. 2015. “Elderly Population in Singapore: Understanding Social, Physical and Financial Needs.” Singapore: SMU Change Lab, Lien Center for Social Innovation. Publisher Page

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  • Donaldson, John A., Yoganathan S/O Theva and Chong, Esther. 2019. Understanding the Resilience of Cottage Industries in Singapore. Written for the National Heritage Board, Singapore.                          Pre-Publication Version

"Others"

Projects into puzzles

Am I too curious for my own good? Here are some projects that don't fit in other categories.

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  • Woods, Orlando and John A. Donaldson. Accepted 2020. “Haptic Heritage and the Paradox of Provenance in Singapore's Cottage Food Businesses.” Food, Culture and Society.                                Publisher Page   Pre-Publication Version

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  • Ho, Yufong, and John A. Donaldson. 2020. “Farmers in a City State? Collective Action under Adverse Circumstances.” Journal of Contemporary Asia.                                                                              Publisher page   Pre-Publication Version

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  • Donaldson, Robert H., and John A. Donaldson. 2003. “The Arms Trade in Russian-Chinese Relations: Identity, Domestic Politics, and Geopolitical Positioning.” International Studies Quarterly 47(4):709-32.                                                                                                      Publisher Page    

Contact me

I’d love to hear from you! Please send me a note or comment and I’ll reply promptly.

Thanks for submitting!

Address:

John A. Donaldson 
Associate Professor, Political Science
School of Social Sciences 
Singapore Management University 
Level 4, 90 Stamford Road 
Singapore 178903   
+ 65-6828-0295 Office Number 
+ 65-6828-0423 Fax number 
Office: Room 4049 (fourth floor)

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