Tony Cheng
Duke University
2026 to 2027
Cheng will examine how elite wealth is infused into American policing. He introduces the concept of pseudo-state entities – organizational extensions such as police department foundations and political action committees that enable state actors to engage in otherwise administratively regulated activities. Drawing on interviews and a variety of public records and large datasets from cities across America, Cheng will trace new sources and mechanisms of inequality within the political economy of public safety.