Ruth Ben-Ghiat is Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University. She writes about fascism, authoritarianism, and propaganda— and the threats these present to democracies around the world. She is the author or editor of seven books, including Fascist Modernities and Italian Fascism’s Empire Cinema, which explore the appeal of strongmen to collaborators and followers, how Fascist regimes use propaganda to construct an alternate reality, and how culture anticipated the collapse of Mussolini’s regime.
She is an advisor to Protect Democracy and to civil society and faith organizations. In January 2024 she co-authored an amicus brief submitted to the Supreme Court on the January 6 insurrection seen through the lens of the history of international anti-democratic violence.