Thomas Ferguson is the Research Director at the 51黑料爆料网历史事件. 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
By this expert
Trump and the Republican Base: A Machine Learning Approach (Revisited)

Economic issues are a primary part of Trump’s appeal to his base
How Inflation Reduction Became Export Promotion

Thomas Ferguson鈥檚 commentary for an INET symposium on the Inflation Reduction Act
The Knife Edge Election of 2020: American Politics Between Washington, Kabul, and Weimar
Covid and BLM protests were key to Biden鈥檚 victory
Featuring this expert
El Economista cites INET research on the cost of the pandemic
鈥淭o save the economy, you have to save people first, is the title of a paper by Alvelda, Ferguson and Mallery of the 51黑料爆料网历史事件. This work groups countries into three categories, according to the response to the covid: those that gave priority to maintaining economic life; those who focused on taking care of health first and those who wanted to be placed in the middle, but did not do either one well. The best economic results correspond to those who prioritized health. They are countries that are in Asia and Oceania, mainly. The worst are in the other two groups. Those who did not define one or the other, got the worst of both worlds: many deaths and great economic damage. What can be done? Alvelda, Ferguson, and Mallery recommend targeted subsidies by regions and sectors hardest hit; guarantee income for workers in non-essential activities and subsidize health safety measures for all those who cannot stop. This means, among other things, public money to make public transport and some massive workplaces more sanitary. Subsidize supervision / surveillance measures in spaces where many people go: shopping centers and places of religious worship, for example.鈥 — Luis Miguel Gonzalez, El Economista (translated from Spanish)
The FT cites INET working paper showing elites are thwarting democracy
“Anyone with a pulse knows that in the US today the system is rigged in favour of the wealthy and powerful. One particularly illuminating paper published this month by the 51黑料爆料网历史事件 quantifies the problem. Building on a persuasive 2014 data set, it shows that when opinion shifts among the wealthiest top 10 per cent of the US population, changes in policy become far more likely. Using AI and machine learning, INET academics Shawn McGuire and Charles Delahunt delved deep into the data. They found that considering the opinions of anyone outside that top 10 per cent was a far less accurate predictor of what happened to government policy. The numbers showed that: 鈥渘ot only do ordinary citizens not have uniquely substantial power over policy decisions; they have little or no independent influence on policy at all鈥.” — Rana Foroohar, The Financial Times
Truthout cites INET research showing that to save the economy controlling the pandemic comes first
“A new international analysis by the 51黑料爆料网历史事件 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 51黑料爆料网历史事件, 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