Francis Fukuyama

Francis Fukuyama is an American political scientist and author best known for his 1992 book *The End of History and the Last Man*, which argued that liberal democracy and market capitalism represent the endpoint of human ideological evolution. Originally a neoconservative, he later became a prominent critic of the Iraq War and American foreign policy, shifting toward more centrist positions. His work spans political economy, international relations, and the philosophy of history, examining how institutions, trust, and social capital shape national development.

Born in 1952, Fukuyama earned his PhD from Harvard and spent much of his career at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) before moving to Stanford. Beyond *The End of History*, he has written influential books including *Trust* (1995), *The Great Disruption* (1999), and *Political Order and Political Decay* (2014). His ideas have been both celebrated as prescient analysis of post-Cold War geopolitics and criticized as overly deterministic. He remains a significant voice in debates about democracy, technological change, and global order.

American political scientist born in 1952 who rose to prominence with his 1992 thesis that liberal democracy represents the end of history. Originally aligned with neoconservatism, he later became a prominent critic of the Iraq War and American foreign policy. His work on institutions, trust, and political order has shaped contemporary debates about democracy and global governance.