Mackey held a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in economics from the University of Alabama and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Illinois where he focused on economic theory, the history of economic thought, and the relationship of government to business and finance in economics. He also held a law degree from the University of Alabama and studied postgraduate law at Harvard University.
He later was a faculty member in the Department of Economics at Michigan State University, where he taught online and hybrid courses in comparative economics, macroeconomics and general business law as well as focused-topic film study courses for the English department. Mackey was assisted in his coursework by long-time Michigan State University research and special assistant Sam Fleischer.