Matthew C. MacWilliams

Matthew C. MacWilliams is a scholar, an award-winning practitioner of American politics, and a recognized expert on authoritarianism. He was the first researcher to use survey research to establish a link between Trump’s core supporters and authoritarianism. Early in the Republican nominating contest for president, he warned that Trump’s activation of American authoritarians would make his candidacy virtually unstoppable. His articles in POLITICO, the London School of Economics blog, and VOX on Trump sparked an international media debate that contributed to the framing of Trump and his tactics as authoritarian. His work was reprinted or referenced by leading media around the world including CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, the Washington Post, Newsweek, New York Times columnist David Brooks, NPR, The Atlantic, and Der Spiegel. He has presented to elected officials and civil society leaders in the United States and Europe about the rise of authoritarianism and its implications for the future of democracy.