No. 34 in America · Week of November 9, 2026
Historian, Hoover Institution
Niall Ferguson is a historian at Stanford's Hoover Institution and one of the Munk Debates' most frequent speakers.
Photo: ARC Forum, CC0
Score breakdown
Nine parts, measured fresh each week. This is where Niall Ferguson's points came from, and the evidence behind each one.
Debate record
Has argued four Munk Debates, on American power, China, the European project and the liberal international order.
Ferguson has taught at Harvard, the London School of Economics and New York University, and is a senior fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center.
He writes on financial, imperial and diplomatic history.
On the record
2017
April 28, 2017
Formal debateLost the audience vote
Against Fareed Zakaria · Munk Debates, Toronto
Niall Ferguson argued for the motion. The con side won the audience vote, swinging 5 percent.
2012
May 25, 2012
Formal debateWon the audience vote
Against Daniel Cohn-Bendit and Peter Mandelson · Munk Debates, Toronto
Niall Ferguson argued for the motion with Josef Joffe. The pro side won the audience vote, swinging 1 percent.
2011
June 17, 2011
Formal debateLost the audience vote
Against Henry Kissinger and Fareed Zakaria · Munk Debates, Toronto
Niall Ferguson argued for the motion with David Daokui Li. The con side won the audience vote, swinging 1 percent.
2008
May 26, 2008
Formal debateWon the audience vote
Against Samantha Power and Richard Holbrooke · Munk Debates, Toronto
Niall Ferguson argued for the motion with Charles Krauthammer. The pro side won the audience vote, swinging 17 percent.
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