Ruth Ben-Ghiat

Ruth Ben-Ghiat is Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University. She writes about fascism, authoritarianism, propaganda, and the threats these present to democracies around the world.

Her most recent book, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present (2020; paperback, 2021), looks at how illiberal leaders use propaganda, corruption, violence, and machismo, and how they can be defeated. She is the recipient of Guggenheim, Fulbright, and other fellowships, a member of the Institute for Advanced Study, and a 2023 Maggie and Dan Inouye Distinguished Chair of Democratic Ideals at the University of Hawai'i. She publishes Lucid, a Substack newsletter on threats to democracy in the U.S. and abroad.

Ben-Ghiat's insights into the authoritarian playbook and democracy protection have made her an expert source for television, radio, podcasts, and online events around the globe. She writes for CNN, The Economist, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. She is an MSNBC opinion columnist and frequently provides television commentary on that network. She has appeared in many documentaries about dictators and threats to democracy, such as Netflix's How To Become a Tyrant and PBS's The Dictators' Playbook.

Ben-Ghiat has turned her expertise into advisory work for Protect Democracy, the House Select Jan. 6 Committee, and corporations that must deal with challenging circumstances autocrats can create for business. She also serves as a historical consultant for film and television productions, most recently Guillermo del Toro's Oscar-winning Pinocchio, which is set in Fascist Italy.

She is an engaging speaker for university and college events, festivals, conferences, and professional associations in the U.S. and abroad.