Thomas Gift

Thomas Gift is Associate Professor of Political Science at University College London (UCL), where he is based in the School of Public Policy and the Department of Political Science. He is the founding Director of the UCL Centre on US Politics (CUSP), a leading hub for research and public engagement on American politics in Europe. Gift has held visiting appointments at Stanford, Yale, Oxford, LSE, and previously taught at Harvard’s Kennedy School.

His educational background includes a PhD in Political Science from Duke University, where he was a National Science Foundation Fellow. Additional training and fellowships were completed at Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and Oxford.

Gift’s research centers on American politics, public policy, public opinion, elections, and democracy, employing survey and experimental methodologies. His work bridges academic scholarship and real-world policy analysis, with a strong emphasis on comparative political economy and democratic governance. He is particularly known for analyzing polarization, democratic backsliding, and US global influence.

Although specific recent publications are not listed in the provided texts, his research has been published in top journals such as Political Behavior, Political Science Research and Methods, Electoral Studies, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Foreign Policy Analysis, indicating a strong trend in quantitative political science with applications to US and international politics.

• Prize for Distinction in Undergraduate Teaching, Harvard College

Gift has supervised numerous students and leads a vibrant research center (CUSP) that hosts events, public discussions, and collaborative projects. His work has been supported by major grants from the US National Science Foundation, US Department of State, British Academy, and British Association for American Studies. He frequently advises governmental and private sector entities, including the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.

As founding Director of CUSP, Gift leads a dynamic team focused on US politics, organizing public events, media engagements, and research initiatives. The center collaborates with institutions like the LSE US Centre and Oxford’s Rothermere American Institute, forming a key node in the UK’s academic network on American studies.