Policy & Governance Lab

Welcome to the Policy & Governance Lab (PGL)

At Dr. Lily Hsueh’s Policy & Governance Lab (PGL), we take an interdisciplinary, problem-driven approach—drawing on economics, political science, policy, and management—to investigate the emergence, evolution, and impacts of market-based, nonregulatory, hybrid, and alternative forms of governance.

PGL’s research examines complex institutional, market, and technological dynamics across four core pillars facing unprecedented governance challenges:

Global Climate Change, Energy Transitions & Resilience
Disasters, Extreme Events & Risk Management
Decentralized Governance and Equitable Urban Development
Ocean, Marine & Natural Resource Governance

Our two active research initiatives — described below — extend this foundation into new empirical territory, with decentralized governance, political economy, and equity questions woven throughout both.

Highlighting Our Emerging Work: Active Research Initiatives

PGL’s latest research extends our comparative governance framework across two overarching initiatives:

Initiative I: Next Generation Climate, Energy, & Emerging Technology Governance

Governance of AI Infrastructure and Data Center Supply and Demand
U.S. Tribal Energy Governance and Decarbonization Pathways
Renewable Energy Policy and Technology Innovation and Adoption: Evidence from OECD Countries
Voluntary Climate Markets and the Design of International Climate Clubs

Initiative II: Firm-Government Dynamics, Organizational Capacity & Corporate Decarbonization

Policy Signals, Managerial Agency, and Corporate Climate Action
Managerial Agency, Firm Dynamics, and Private-Public Interactions in Decarbonization Strategies

Core Themes & Methodological Pluralism

Firm-Government & Market Dynamics

A central theme at PGL is examining how public policies, market forces, and political economy drivers incentivize private sector engagement in public goods provision, alongside managerial and organizational dynamics shaping firm–government interactions. We closely analyze the interactions among firms, policymakers, and critical stakeholders—including consumers, investors, and activists—to shed light on policy and regulatory design as well as corporate strategy.

Rigorous Causal Inference

Methodologically, we blend quantitative tools and methods for causal inference—such as applied econometrics, quasi-experimental methods, and data science techniques—with qualitative approaches, including semi-structured interviews and process tracing in systematic case studies, to uncover deep causal mechanisms.

Featured Media & Frameworks

Corporations at Climate Crossroads

Discover PGL’s theoretical framework on how internal firm leadership, organizational dynamics, external regulatory pressures and global norms shape private sector action.

Read Dr. Hsueh’s Book | Watch Dr. Hsueh's Book Talk| Explore Active Projects | Join PGL

TEAM

Principal Investigator

Lily Hsueh, Ph.D.

Read her bio here.

Current Members and Students

Eugene Cho is a Ph.D. Candidate at the School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University. Her primary research interests lie at the intersection of environmental policy and inequality. Policy analysis, environmental economics, and sustainability are also included in her research area. These research interests are mainly derived from a 12-year career at South Korea’s Ministry of Environment, especially at two research centers related to air pollution and climate change. She received her B.A. in Anthropology from Seoul National University and took graduate courses in Public Administration at the same university. Read more on Eugene's website.

Ximing Dong is a second-year PhD student in Public Administration and Policy at ASU School of Public Affairs. His research interests center on environmental, energy, and technology policy, with a particular focus on the administrative and governance challenges in these domains. He is also passionate about advancing quantitative and computational methodologies. He is currently conducting research with Dr. Eric Welch at the Center for Science, Technology and Environmental Policy Studies (CSTEPS) and with Dr. Lily Hsueh on environmental policy and emergency management. Prior to joining ASU, he worked with the Climate Policy Division of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, D.C. Read more on Ximing's ASU profile.

Jett Timmons is a driven and detail-oriented third-year student at Arizona State University, Barrett, The Honors College, pursuing a B.S. in economics. He holds a strong interest in the field of environmental economics. Jett has contributed to a range of projects, including as a research fellow for the New Carbon Economy Consortium studying energy transition and climate action, serving as Treasurer of the ASU Solar Car Team, and VP of Administration for the Sustainable Business Student Association. This fall, he accepted an internship position at the Phoenix Mayor’s Office supporting constituent services and policy research. Skills include report writing, research, data modeling, financial reporting, and communications. He plans to pursue climate research and roles in sustainable finance after graduation. Read more on Jett's LinkedIn profile.

Alumni of Dr. Hsueh's research team include Jessica Bass, Pooja Wood, Jacob Emnett, Elliott Harwood, Elizabeth Kuttner, Daniel Marchetto, Won No, Cassidy Schwalenberg, Jeff Suarez, Reva Anmala (high school research intern), Nihaal Konda (high school research intern).

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