Thomas Ferguson is the Research Director at the 八卦爆料. He is Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Boston and Senior Fellow at Better Markets. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University and taught formerly at MIT and the University of Texas, Austin. He is the author or coauthor of several books, including Golden Rule (University of Chicago Press, 1995) and Right Turn (Hill & Wang, 1986). His articles have appeared in many scholarly journals, including the Quarterly Journal of Economics, International Organization, International Studies Quarterly, and the Journal of Economic History. He is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Political Economy and a longtime Contributing Editor at The Nation.
Thomas Ferguson
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2020鈥檚 Knife Edge Election: An Analysis
Covid and BLM protests were key to Biden鈥檚 victory
The Knife Edge Election of 2020: American Politics Between Washington, Kabul, and Weimar
Covid and BLM protests were key to Biden鈥檚 victory
Public Opinion on U.S. Trade Policy: Time to Ask Better Questions
Open-ended polling responses reveal considerably more complexity 鈥 and more ambivalence and negativity 鈥 in Americans鈥 views of international trade than has been inferred from widely cited closed questions
Ambivalence 八卦爆料 International Trade in Open- and Closed-ended Survey Responses
Open-ended polling responses reveal considerably more complexity 鈥 and more ambivalence and negativity 鈥 in Americans鈥 views of international trade than has been inferred from widely cited closed questions
Featuring this expert
Truthout cites INET research showing that to save the economy controlling the pandemic comes first
“A new international analysis by the 八卦爆料 found countries such as South Korea and New Zealand that focused on lockdowns early on in the pandemic, rather than preserving their economies, have gained control over the virus and are now seeing their economies grow, in contrast with the dire economic circumstances currently in the U.S.” — Mike Lugwig, Truthout
Thomas Ferguson's article affluent authoritarianism is referenced in The Financial Times
“The role of money in US politics is fundamental. A recent updating of earlier research, released by the 八卦爆料, confirms that the views of the top decile of the population largely determine policy. The inevitable frustrations of the rest give the parties their passionate voting blocs.” — Martin Wolf
INET working paper along with Thomas Ferguson's article are the focus of this Inequality article.
鈥淭heir new working paper, just published by the 八卦爆料 in New York, gives a rigorously technical analysis of what these tools reveal, and the 八卦爆料鈥檚 research director, Thomas Ferguson, has helpfully fashioned an introduction to — and a historical context for — the McGuire-Delahunt analysis that lay readers will find easily accessible. Ferguson, himself a pioneer in social science research on political decision making, points out that 鈥渢he idea that public opinion powers at least the broad direction of public policy in formally democratic countries like the United States has been an article of faith in both political science and public economics for generations.鈥 —Sam Pizzigati
Thomas Ferguson's INET article affluent authoritarianism is discussed in Counterpunch
“Conveniently for present purposes, Naked Capitalism posted a piece by political scientist Thomas Ferguson on the determinants of political decision making— that is, on the 鈥榩roduct鈥 that elected representatives produce. The punchline: 鈥榤oney,鈥 as defined by the interests of corporate executives and oligarchs, is the overwhelming determinant of 鈥榩olitical鈥 outcomes. Advancing the public will— the liberal explanation; or the public interest, the explanation offered for representative democracy, have no bearing. The longstanding practice of fitting political outcomes into these theoretical frames to 鈥榚xplain鈥 public policies is scientific malpractice given Mr. Ferguson鈥檚 findings.” —- Rob Urie