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.
Neither Steve Scalise nor Jim Jordan is an ideal speaker candidate
Henry Olsen
The House speaker contest is shaping up to be a battle between two top Republicans: Majority Leader Steve Scalise (La.) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (Ohio).
Washington Post / October 10, 2023
Matt Gaetz Should Be Careful What He Wishes For
Henry Olsen
Gaetz and his crew could be losers even if they unseat Kevin McCarthy.
Uncategorized
National Review Online / October 10, 2023
DeSantis Should Use the Reagan Playbook to Regain His Footing against Trump
Henry Olsen
The Florida governor must outline a clear set of differences with the former president on policy — emphasizing abortion policy in particular.
Uncategorized
National Review Online / October 4, 2023
How the Virgin Islands could play a key role in choosing the GOP nominee
Henry Olsen
The Republican presidential nomination looks like it will be a runaway for Donald Trump.
Washington Post / October 3, 2023
Bob Menendez is right not to step down
Henry Olsen
The buzzards are circling Bob Menendez as he limps away from his federal indictment last week.
Washington Post / September 27, 2023
A Uniform Hike in the Retirement Age Is a Bad Idea
Henry Olsen
It would disproportionately harm working-class Americans. We need a more tailored approach to Social Security reform.
Uncategorized
National Review Online / September 26, 2023
Enough is enough. McCarthy must bring the GOP rebels to heel.
Henry Olsen
Enough is enough.
The Washington Post / September 23, 2023
The pro-life movement should abandon Trump over his abortion comments
Henry Olsen
The pro-life movement fought for about 50 years to repeal Roe.
Washington Post / September 19, 2023
Why we’re all populist
Henry Olsen
If events continue to take their current course, the world in 2070 will be as different from today as that of 1970 was from 1920.
The Spectator World / September 18, 2023
Mitt Romney’s third party would never work. But this one might.
Henry Olsen
Romney and Manchin come from two different parties, but they share a similar approach to politics.
Washington Post / September 18, 2023
New Mexico’s governor seems to think it’s okay to ignore the Supreme Court
Henry Olsen
Time will tell whether Lujan Grisham’s order is just another failed effort at political signaling or the start of a much more serious challenge to the Supreme Court’s authority.
The Washington Post / September 12, 2023
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