Thomas Fingar

Formal headshot of Tom Fingar

Thomas Fingar, PhD

  • Shorenstein APARC Fellow
  • Affiliated Scholar at the Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions

Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies
Stanford University
Encina Hall, C-327
Stanford, CA 94305-6055

(650) 723-9149 (voice)
(650) 723-6530 (fax)

Biography

Thomas Fingar is a Shorenstein APARC Fellow in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. He was the inaugural Oksenberg-Rohlen Distinguished Fellow from 2010 through 2015 and the Payne Distinguished Lecturer at Stanford in 2009.

From 2005 through 2008, he served as the first deputy director of national intelligence for analysis and, concurrently, as chairman of the National Intelligence Council. Fingar served previously as assistant secretary of the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (2000-01 and 2004-05), principal deputy assistant secretary (2001-03), deputy assistant secretary for analysis (1994-2000), director of the Office of Analysis for East Asia and the Pacific (1989-94), and chief of the China Division (1986-89). Between 1975 and 1986 he held a number of positions at Stanford University, including senior research associate in the Center for International Security and Arms Control.

Fingar is a graduate of Cornell University (A.B. in Government and History, 1968), and Stanford University (M.A., 1969 and Ph.D., 1977 both in political science). His most recent books are From Mandate to Blueprint: Lessons from Intelligence Reform (Stanford University Press, 2021), Reducing Uncertainty: Intelligence Analysis and National Security (Stanford University Press, 2011), The New Great Game: China and South and Central Asia in the Era of Reform, editor (Stanford University Press, 2016), Uneasy Partnerships: China and Japan, the Koreas, and Russia in the Era of Reform (Stanford, 2017), and Fateful Decisions: Choices that will Shape China’s Future, co-edited with Jean Oi (Stanford, 2020). His most recent article is, "The Role of Intelligence in Countering Illicit Nuclear-Related Procurement,” in Matthew Bunn, Martin B. Malin, William C. Potter, and Leonard S Spector, eds., Preventing Black Market Trade in Nuclear Technology (Cambridge, 2018)."

publications

Books
May 2020

Fateful Decisions: Choices That Will Shape China's Future

Author(s)
cover link Fateful Decisions: Choices That Will Shape China's Future
Books
June 2017

Office of the Director of National Intelligence: From Pariah and Piñata to Managing Partner

Author(s)
cover link Office of the Director of National Intelligence: From Pariah and Piñata to Managing Partner
Books
April 2017

Uneasy Partnerships: China’s Engagement with Japan, the Koreas, and Russia in the Era of Reform

Author(s)
cover link Uneasy Partnerships: China’s Engagement with Japan, the Koreas, and Russia in the Era of Reform

Current research

In The News

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen shakes hands with People’s Republic of China Vice Premier He Lifeng in front of U.S. and Chinese flags
Commentary

The United States Should Seek Engagement Without Provocation of China

While China's current policy prioritizes regime security over economic growth, the United States should hold open the door to a shift by Beijing back to a policy package emphasizing openness. Washington should also restore credibility to its One China Policy and lower the rhetorical temperature.
cover link The United States Should Seek Engagement Without Provocation of China
Missiles on the background of clock
Commentary

The Uncertain Future of Nuclear Deterrence

Shorenstein APARC Fellow Thomas Fingar discusses the prospects for arms control and deterrence strategies in an era when the United States is grappling with the challenges of managing a three-way nuclear rivalry and maintaining global stability.
cover link The Uncertain Future of Nuclear Deterrence
Thomas Fingar in a People's Daily documentary
Commentary

Video: Thomas Fingar on Past and Present Milestones in U.S.-China Relations

cover link Video: Thomas Fingar on Past and Present Milestones in U.S.-China Relations

Selected Multimedia