Henry Olsen
Senior Fellow
Henry Olsen, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, studies and provides commentary on American politics. His work focuses on how America’s political order is being upended by populist challenges, from the left and the right. He also studies populism’s impact in other democracies in the developed world.
For media inquiries or to book Mr. Olsen for an interview, contact [email protected].
Click here to view the full archive of Mr. Olsen’s writings at The Washington Post.
Click here to view the full archive of Mr. Olsen’s writings at National Review Online.
Henry Olsen, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, studies and provides commentary on American politics. His work focuses on how America’s political order is being upended by populist challenges, from the left and the right. He also studies populism’s impact in other democracies in the developed world.
Mr. Olsen is an opinion columnist for The Washington Post, where he writes daily pieces focusing on politics, populism, foreign affairs and American conservative thought. He is also the author of The Working Class Republican: Ronald Reagan and the Return of Blue-Collar Conservatism and The Four Faces of the Republican Party, co-authored with Dante Scala.
Mr. Olsen is teaching as the Thomas W. Smith Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at Arizona State University for the Winter/Spring 2023 semester.
Mr. Olsen was previously an editor at UnHerd.com and a regular contributor to American Greatness, City Journal, and World Magazine. Mr. Olsen’s work has been featured in many prominent publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, National Review, The Guardian, and The Weekly Standard.
His predictions of the 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 elections were particularly praised for their remarkable accuracy. In the 2016 campaign, he accurately identified the factors fueling the rise of Donald Trump early in the race, and his election-eve predictions were among the most accurate of any major analyst or commentator.
Mr. Olsen has worked in senior executive positions at many center-right think tanks. He most recently served from 2006 to 2013 as Vice President and Director, National Research Initiative, at the American Enterprise Institute. He previously worked as Vice President of Programs at the Manhattan Institute and President of the Commonwealth Foundation.
Mr. Olsen started his career as a political consultant at the California firm of Hoffenblum-Mollrich. He then worked with the California State Assembly Republican Caucus before attending law school. He served as a law clerk to the Honorable Danny J. Boggs on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and as an associate at Dechert, Price & Rhoads. He has a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, where he served as Comment Editor for the University of Chicago Law Review.
AUDIO: Henry Olsen Discusses CPAC, GOP on KGO-AM
February 28, 2022 | KGO-AM - “The Morning Show with Nikki Medoro”
On February 28, 2022, EPPC Senior Fellow Henry Olsen appeared on “The Morning Show with Nikki Medoro” on KGO-AM in…
QUOTED: Henry Olsen in Washington Post Q&A on Inflation
February 11, 2022 | The Washington Post
On February 11, 2022, EPPC Senior Fellow Henry Olsen joined other Washington Post Opinion columnists for an online Q&A on…
AUDIO: Henry Olsen on Why Build Back Better Might Not Pass
December 15, 2021 | The Rod Arquette Show
On December 15, 2021, EPPC Senior Fellow Henry Olsen appeared on the Rod Arquette Show to discuss why the Build…
VIDEO: Henry Olsen on Campaigns 2022 and 2024
November 9, 2021 | C-SPAN - Washington Journal
On November 9, 2021, EPPC Senior Fellow Henry Olsen joined C-SPAN’s Washington Journal to discuss recent elections and what the…
AUDIO: Henry Olsen Discusses Future of GOP on WOSU Radio
February 17, 2021 | WOSU - All Sides with Ann Fisher
EPPC Senior Fellow Henry Olsen appeared on WOSU radio’s “All Sides with Ann Fisher” to discuss the future of the Republican Party.
VIDEO: Henry Olsen on AEI Election Watch Panel
November 5, 2020 | American Enterprise Institute
EPPC Senior Fellow Henry Olsen once again joined AEI’s Election Watch team for their final event of the 2020 election season.
AUDIO: Henry Olsen Discusses 2020 Race on PoMoCon Podcast
December 8, 2019 | PoMoCon podcast
EPPC Senior Fellow Henry Olsen appeared on the PoMoCon podcast with host Titus Techera to discuss the shifting political landscape and the 2020 elections.
AUDIO: Henry Olsen on ‘Common-Good Capitalism’ on Matt Lewis Podcast
December 3, 2019 | Matt Lewis and the News podcast
EPPC Senior Fellow Henry Olsen appeared on the “Matt Lewis and the News” podcast to discuss his recent column at the Washington Post on the pushback Marco Rubio for his recent speech on “common-good capitalism.”
AUDIO: Henry Olsen Discusses Ukraine Saga on World Magazine Podcast
September 25, 2019 | World Magazine - The World and Everything In It
EPPC Senior Fellow Henry Olsen appeared on World Magazine’s The World and Everything In It to discuss the latest news regarding the Ukraine saga and the possibility of President Trump’s impeachment.
VIDEO: Henry Olsen on C-SPAN on Campaign 2020 and the Republican Party
August 18, 2019 | C-SPAN - Washington Journal
EPPC Senior Fellow Henry Olsen appeared on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal to discuss the 2020 campaign and the future of the Republican party.
AUDIO: Henry Olsen Discusses Hong Kong Protests on Washington Watch with Tony Perkins
August 13, 2019 | Washington Watch with Tony Perkins
EPPC Senior Fellow Henry Olsen appeared on Washington Watch with Tony Perkins (guest-hosted by Sarah Perry) to discuss recent protests in Hong Kong.
AUDIO: Henry Olsen on Ricochet Podcast on 2020 Race
June 21, 2019 | Ricochet Podcast
EPPC Senior Fellow Henry Olsen joined the Ricochet Podcast to discuss the 2020 campaign and President Trump’s re-election chances, as well as the outlook for House and Senate races.
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