Political Scientist & American Politics Expert; Emeritus Scholar at American Enterprise Institute; Author of "The Broken Branch"; Contributing Writer to The Atlantic

Washington, DC, USA
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Norman Ornstein Biography

Norman J. Ornstein is a political scientist and emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, recognized for his extensive work on American politics, elections, and the U.S. Congress. Ornstein has spent more than four decades analyzing political institutions and advocating for election reform. He has also served as a political science professor at Johns Hopkins University and The Catholic University of America for 15 years.

A contributing writer to The Atlantic, Ornstein is a political analyst frequently featured on major media outlets including C-SPAN, CBS, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, NPR, and PBS NewsHour. For 30 years, he served as an election eve analyst for CBS News and provided on-air election analysis for BBC News. His articles and opinion pieces have appeared in Foreign Affairs, Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, Politico, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and USA Today.

Ornstein has played a significant role in shaping American political reform. He led a working group that contributed to the development of the campaign finance reform law known as McCain-Feingold. His efforts have included Senate committee reform, the creation of the Congressional Office of Compliance, and the establishment of the House Office of Congressional Ethics. Ornstein previously served as co-director of the AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project and as senior counselor to the Continuity of Government Commission. Along with Thomas Mann and Michael Malbin, he created "Vital Statistics on Congress," a reference guide providing impartial data for congressional analysis.

As an author, Ornstein has written several books on American political dysfunction, including "The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track" with Thomas E. Mann, "It's Even Worse Than It Looks" with Tom Mann, and "One Nation After Trump: A Guide for the Perplexed, the Disillusioned, the Desperate and the Not-Yet-Deported" with EJ Dionne and Tom Mann. He is also a contributing editor for The Atlantic and co-host of the podcast "Words Matter."

Ornstein's work in political science and public policy has been recognized through his election as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and his direction of the Academy Project on Stewarding America. He has been named among the top 100 global thinkers by Foreign Policy Magazine and among the 250 most influential people in Washington by Washingtonian Magazine. Ornstein received the Goodnow Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Political Science Association and serves on the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship and the Protect Democracy Task Force on Election Crises.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 11/05/2026.

Norman Ornstein Speaking Topics

  • The Institution of Compromise: Why Hyper-partisanship is No Laughing Matter

    With a political climate that reveals an unprecedented level of hyper-partisanship and an extreme unwillingness to compromise, longtime political pundit and commentator, Norman Ornstein outlines how the U.S. is on the brink of institutional collapse and doubled-over in deadlock. As chronicled in his recent book, It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism (2012), Ornstein identifies the two primary causes behind this pernicious state of affairs. At the lead is the issue of party mismatch and a governing system that makes it difficult for majorities to act. In close second is the issue of party culpability and “asymmetric polarization.” With a unique sense of humor, extraordinary eye for detail and over 30 years in the field, Ornstein discusses specifically what each of these issues entails and their possible solutions.

Norman Ornstein Videos

Law & Mental Health Conference 2024

Law & Mental Health Conference 2024

Norm Ornstein discusses his keynote presentation with Jason Renaud and takes questions from the attendees of the Law & Mental Health Conference....

How to Fix Democracy | Norman Ornstein

How to Fix Democracy | Norman Ornstein

Norman Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, has been immersed in U.S. politics since the late 1960s and has ...

State of emergency: Norman Ornstein on Trump's border wall

State of emergency: Norman Ornstein on Trump's border wall

Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., and a contributing editor for the Atlantic, says that...

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Norman Ornstein is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as The Institution of Compromise: Why Hyper-partisanship is No Laughing Matter. The estimated speaking fee range to book Norman Ornstein for your event is available upon request. Norman Ornstein generally travels from Washington, DC, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Sam Stein, Ben Domenech, Eric Cantor, Gordon G. Chang and Andrew Busch. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Norman Ornstein for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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