Professor Samuel Edward Finer (22 September 1915 – 9 June 1993) was a political scientist and historian who was instrumental in advancing political studies as an academic subject in the United Kingdom, pioneering the study of UK political institutions.
His most notable work is The History of Government from the Earliest Times – a three-volume comparative analysis of all significant government systems.
He was also a major contributor to the study of civil–military relations with the publication of his book, The Man on Horseback.