Glossary


This glossary compiles key concepts, theories, and paradigms coined by Yuen Yuen Ang across her research and writing. It serves as a reference for scholars, students, and readers seeking clear and accurate interpretations of her contributions to global transformation, political economy, development, US-China, and China studies. Each entry defines a term, situates it within Ang’s intellectual forest of AIM (Adaptive + Inclusive + Moral) Political Economy, and provides links to original publications and further reading.

Browse the glossary alphabetically: Select a letter below to view all entries beginning with that letter.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

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Ideas
Adaptive Fiscal Capacity
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Adaptive Fiscal Capacity refers to the ability of a government to generate, manage, and adapt its portfolio of financial resources—tax and taxless alike—in response to evolving economic, political, and environmental conditions. Unlike conventional fiscal capacity, it goes beyond the narrow focus on tax collections.

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Ideas
APE (Adaptive Political Economy)

Adaptive Political Economy (APE) studies political economies as complex adaptive systems, rather than as static machines. Instead of assuming away the inherently complex qualities of political economies, APE designs theories and methods to illuminate them. APE forms one of the three pillars of Yuen Yuen Ang’s broader paradigm - AIM (Adaptive, Inclusive & Moral) Political Economy.

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AIM: Adaptive, Inclusive & Moral Political Economy

AIM (Adaptive, Inclusive, Moral) Political Economy - is a new paradigm proposed by Yuen Yuen Ang to seize the polytunity for transformation in a disrupted, multipolar world.

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C

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Concepts

A concept is a coined phrase to help you grasp the defining characteristics of an important issue, in contrast to other concepts. Think of concepts as the building blocks of thought. Everyday, we rely on countless concepts we’ve internalized to navigate the world.

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Category

Categories (or typology) are a related set of concepts that help you notice and explain important differences.

In China’s Gilded Age (book) and Unbundling Corruption (article), Ang introduce a four-part typology of corruption: petty theft, grand theft, speed money, access money. This typology helps us distinguish among the four types of corruption and their effects.

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M

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Model
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In the non-statistical sense, a model means a stylized description that removes extraneous details and distills the core patterns of a real-world phenomenon.

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P

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Polytunity

Polytunity is a concept coined by Yuen Yuen Ang as a global, constructive alternative to the polycrisis. It reframes the current convergence of disruptions not as a source of paralysis, but as a generational opportunity for deep transformation. Ang advances AIM (Adaptive, Inclusive & Moral) Political Economy as an intellectual foundation for the polytunity.

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Paradigm
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Paradigm refers to a system of thought based on certain core assumptions about the nature of humans or societies.

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T

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Theory
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A theory explains a problem, paired with evidence or a method for demonstrating the answer. A theory should not be based simply on assertions (otherwise, it is an opinion).

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