The use of earmarked projects in the top-down distribution of resources has become prevalent since the mid-1990s. It has spilled over from the financial arena to other areas and become a key institutional mechanism of governance and policy implementation. In this article，I aim to accomplish three goals. First，drawing on research in this area，I highlight main organizational typologies in the institution of earmarked projects；second，I develop an analytical framework from the lens of the “control rights” theory for the analysis of earmarked projects in light of different modes of authority relationships，interactive processes，and conditions for transitions among different modes. Finally，I discuss the significance of the institution of earmarked projects in governing China.