Tom Flanagan

Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Distinguished Fellow, School of Public Policy, University of Calgary

Tom Flanagan, Senior Fellow of the Fraser Institute, is Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Distinguished Fellow, at the School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, and Chair, Aboriginal Futures, at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.  He received his B.A. from Notre Dame and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Duke University.  He taught political science at the University of Calgary from 1968 until retirement in 2013.  He is the author of many books and articles on topics such as Louis Riel and Metis history, aboriginal rights and land claims, Canadian political parties, political campaigning, and applications of game theory to politics. His books have won six prizes, including the Donner-Canadian Prize for best book of the year in Canadian public policy. He was elected to the Royal Society of Canada in 1996.   Prof. Flanagan has also been a frequent expert witness in litigation over aboriginal and treaty land claims.  In the political realm, he managed Stephen Harper's campaigns for leadership of the Canadian Alliance and the Conservative Party of Canada, the 2004 Conservative national campaign, and the 2012 Wildrose Alberta provincial campaign.

Recent Research by Tom Flanagan

— May 26, 2023
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From Reconciliation to Reparations: Exploiting a Noble Idea

From Reconciliation to Reparations: Exploiting a Noble Idea is a new study that documents how the current judicially driven approach of the federal justice department to negotiate financial compensation with First Nations to settle lawsuits—instead of litigation—means elected representatives have no meaningful oversight of the large sums of money being paid out. And contrary to Canadian legal tradition, individual claims of mistreatment are not merely leading to compensation, but are being used to overturn core government policies enacted by previous Parliaments.

— Jun 28, 2022
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Indigenous Spending in Budget 2022

Indigenous Spending in Budget 2022 finds that the federal government’s recent substantial increase of Indigenous spending—which will reach a projected $35.5 billion in 2026-27—is mainly due to judicial settlement payouts.

— May 19, 2022
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The Indian Act— A Barrier to Entrepreneurship

The Indian Act—A Barrier to Entrepreneurship finds that Ottawa could improve First Nations entrepreneurship, which is key to prosperity, by further removing barriers to property rights within the Indian Act.