Fudan-LSE Lecture Series No.90

复旦-LSE讲座系列第90期

Title/题目

State Budgetary Outcomes: Do CEO Governors Make a Difference?

美国州财政预算结果：企业高管型州长会带来不同吗？

Speaker/主讲人

Assoc. Prof. Can Chen, Georgia State University; CPSG President

陈灿副教授 美国佐治亚州立大学；留美公共政策学会主席

Host/主持人

Prof .Yijia Jing, IGPP

敬乂嘉教授 全球公共政策研究院

Discussant / 评论人

Assoc. Prof. Haoqi Qian, IGPP

钱浩祺副教授 全球公共政策研究院

Time/时间

12:00-13:20, May 20, Wednesday, 2026

2026年5月20日，周三，12:00-13:20

Venue/地点

Room 805E, 8th Floor, West Sub-building of Guanghua Towers

光华楼西辅楼8楼805E会议室

https://v.wjx.cn/vm/eo33HIR.aspx#

*校外人员请提前在【复旦信息办】预约，并携带身份原件入校

主讲人介绍/ The Speaker：

Assoc. Prof. Can Chen

Dr. Can Chen is a tenured Associate Professor and Ph.D. advisor at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. He also serves as Director of the joint Ph.D. Program in Public Policy between Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University. He currently serves as President of the Chinese Policy Scholars Group (CPSG).

讲座内容/ Abstract:

Drawing on upper echelons theory, imprinting theory, and scholarship on managerial decision-making and the transferability of private-sector management approaches to the public sector, this study examines the relationship between U.S. governors’ top business experience and state budgetary outcomes. Using a panel dataset of 48 states from 1960 to 2010 and a regression discontinuity design, the analysis finds that electing governors with high-level business experience improves budgetary equilibrium during their terms. The findings suggest that governors with business backgrounds may be better able to align revenues with expenditures and reduce deviations from balanced budgeting. This study offers important theoretical and practical insights into political leadership, executive experience, and fiscal governance.