# Benjamin Page Northwestern University political scientist whose research documents the outsized political influence of the ultra-wealthy in American democracy. His 2014 study with Martin Gilens, "Testing Theories of American Politics," demonstrated that policy outcomes track the preferences of economic elites rather than average citizens — one of the most cited empirical findings supporting the [[Oligarchy]] thesis. Page's subsequent work on "billionaire politics" further mapped how [[Dark Money]] and [[Plutocracy]] shape policy through stealth lobbying.