Thomas Eugene Flanagan

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For other people with similar names, see Thomas Flanagan (disambiguation)

Thomas Eugene Flanagan is an American-born writer and professor of political science at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. He was the only son of an Irish-American family from Illinois, and he attended the University of Notre Dame, Indiana as an undergraduate.

He moved to Canada for the first time after completing a Ph.D at Duke University to take up a post at the University of Calgary.

Flanagan is part of a group known as the Calgary School. He has gained notice for his controversial views about Louis Riel and First Nations politics.

Flanagan takes different approach to First Nations history. He has claimed that First Nations people were North America’s "first immigrants" and has worked to debunk what he calls a politically correct "aboriginal orthodoxy." He has worked as a historical consultant and expert witness to counter aboriginal land claims. His belief that First Nations were Canada's "first immigrants" is seen by some as a politically useful tool for the Canadian government in denying aboriginal land claims.

Flanagan worked for Preston Manning in the early days of the Reform Party of Canada, but left following the 1993 general election. Currently, Flanagan is a close confidant of Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. He worked as Harper's national campaign director in the 2004 federal election, and was a senior campaign advisor in the 2006 election.

Flanagan is a senior fellow of the right-wing think tank, the Fraser Institute.