Norman Ornstein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Norman Ornstein
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Norman Jay Ornstein
October 14, 1948 Grand Rapids, Minnesota, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Minnesota (B.A.) University of Michigan (Ph.D.) |
| Occupation | Political scientist, author, scholar |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Judith L. Harris |
| Children | 2 |
Norman Jay Ornstein (born October 14, 1948) is an American political scientist. A political scientist is someone who studies how governments work and how people make decisions about politics. He is a scholar who used to work at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a research group in Washington, D.C. that focuses on public policy. He is well-known for co-writing the book It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism. This book discusses the challenges facing the American political system.
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About Norman Ornstein
Norman Jay Ornstein was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota on October 14, 1948. His father was a traveling salesman. Norman spent much of his childhood in Canada. He was very smart from a young age. He finished high school when he was fourteen and college when he was eighteen. He earned his first degree from the University of Minnesota. Later, he received a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Michigan in 1974. By the mid-1970s, he became a professor at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He quickly became known as an expert on the United States Congress, which is the law-making branch of the U.S. government.
His Work and Contributions
Ornstein studies American politics very closely. He often shares his ideas in The Washington Post and other magazines like The Atlantic. From 1993 to 2013, he wrote a weekly column for Roll Call, a newspaper about Congress. He also helped lead the AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project.
He played a part in writing important sections of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. This law is also known as the McCain-Feingold Act. It aimed to change how money is used in political campaigns. Even though he is a registered Democrat, Ornstein sees himself as a "centrist." This means he often holds moderate views and has voted for people from both major political parties.
Involvement in Democracy
Ornstein is a member of the advisory board for the Future of American Democracy Foundation. This group works with Yale University Press to help improve American democracy. He also served on the advisory board for the Institute for Law and Politics at the University of Minnesota Law School. Additionally, Ornstein is on the board of directors for Why Tuesday?, a group that works to improve elections. He advises Represent.Us, a group that fights political corruption. He helped create the American Anti-Corruption Act for them.
In 2012, Foreign Policy magazine named Ornstein as one of its "Top 100 Global Thinkers." He received this honor along with Thomas E. Mann for their work in understanding America's political problems. Since 2013, Ornstein has become known for his strong opinions about Congress. He has been watching its actions for over thirty years. He has also expressed his dislike for President Donald Trump. He has criticized the Electoral College, which is the system used to elect the U.S. president. He believes that when presidents are elected without winning the popular vote, people might feel their vote doesn't matter as much.
Personal Life
Ornstein is married to Judith L. Harris. She is a attorney who works on legal issues related to government rules. He is a long-time friend of former U.S. Senator and comedian Al Franken. A made-up version of Ornstein even appears in Franken's funny political book, Why Not Me?, where he is the campaign manager for Franken's unlikely run for president.
Norman Ornstein, his wife, and their younger son Danny started the Matthew Harris Ornstein Memorial Foundation. They created this foundation to honor their eldest son, Matthew, who passed away in 2015.
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