He holds a PhD in international relations from the London School of Economics LSE, which he attended as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar.

[6] MacDonald has contributed as a writer to multiple Canadian journalistic publications, such as The Globe and Mail,[7] The National Post,[8] and the Toronto Star.

Identity Politics in the Age of Genocide examined how Holocaust "Americanization" impacted other ethnic and social groups.

[citation needed] Thinking History, Fighting Evil applies his theoretical work to the study of American domestic and foreign policy.

The presents the most thorough exploration to date of how World War II analogies, particularly those focused on the Holocaust, have colored American foreign policy-making after 9/11.