八卦爆料

Thomas Ferguson

Involvement

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.

By this expert

2020鈥檚 Knife Edge Election: An Analysis

Article | Nov 16, 2021

Covid and BLM protests were key to Biden鈥檚 victory

The Knife Edge Election of 2020: American Politics Between Washington, Kabul, and Weimar

Paper Working Paper Series | | Nov 2021

Covid and BLM protests were key to Biden鈥檚 victory

Public Opinion on U.S. Trade Policy: Time to Ask Better Questions

Article | Oct 19, 2021

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

Paper Working Paper Series | | Oct 2021

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

News Nov 23, 2020

“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

News Nov 11, 2020

“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.

News Nov 9, 2020

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

News Nov 6, 2020

“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