Henry Olsen

Writing daily columns from a Populist-Conservative perspective

 

Contributing in weekly 2020 Pundit poll ranking challengers to President Trump 

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Consultant for the UK, Chinese, German, French, Scandinavian, Canadian, and other European embassies

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Regular Speaker at notable events hosted by the American Enterprise Institute, the Brookings Institution, the Heritage Foundation, the Manhattan Institute, the Cato Institute, the Bradley Foundation, the Philadelphia Society, and the Reform Conservative Network

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Helping direct the Voter Study Group, a cross-partisan group of pollsters and analysts studying the deep roots of American political divisions

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Predicted the most accurate 2016 pre-election results in the nation

 

Wrote bi-monthly column for American Greatness and monthly columns for City Journal and WORLD magazine on Conservatism and American politics until February 2019 

 

Frequently contributed to National Review, National Affairs, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and The National Interest until February 2019  

 

​Regularly cited by leading journalists

Taught the Fall 2016 semester course: Winning Election 2016

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Created curriculum that instilled an understanding of how to analyze election polls through a series of intellectually engaging projects and lectures

The Board advises the Director on management

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Drew maps and managed the REDIS machine

Commissioned, edited, and wrote a weekly column for section devoted to populism throughout the world

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Examined and analyzed populist movements in most OECD countries and the causes behind populism worldwide

Worked with development team to bring in $6 million in new money for the Values & Capitalism program and $1.5 million in 2012-13 for the education policy program 

 

Created AEI’s Values & Capitalism program, now active on over 40 campuses, an initiative designed to educate students on college campuses about the virtues of free enterprise and conservative public policy

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Designed objectives, directed activity, and managed thirteen scholars in AEI’s education, health care, financial services, energy & environment, agriculture, and legal studies programs

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Revamped the National Research Initiative, recruiting numerous scholars from the prestigious National Bureau of Economic Research to write on topics such as federal taxation and spending policy, health care reform, and entitlement reform

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Created, lead, and accomplished NRI projects, including thirteen monographs, books, and studies, with self-designed marketing plans

 

Managed budgets and implemented direction, goals, and fund-raising strategies

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Created AEI’s government relations department and helped to double the number of Congressional testimonies in one year by AEI scholars and fellows

 

Lead communications, events, government relations, and publications teams to accomplish objectives

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Advised the president, as one of four VPs, on matters relating to AEI

 

Recruited outside academics and others to develop original conservative public policy ideas as part of AEI’s National Research Initiative, a $2 million annual academic grant-making program 

 

Wrote articles and op-eds on the direction and future of the conservative politics and public policy    

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Increased visibility and policy relevant work by AEI scholars in my program areas

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Created and managed research and intellectual program on urban issues aimed at policymakers and journalists

 

Managed six other programs on domestic policy issues aimed at similar audiences

 

Assisted the President and Executive Vice President to design and implement Institute objectives

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Created strategic plans, specific projects, and budgets for programs and scholars in education, health care, criminal justice, welfare reform, urban housing and development, race and ethnic studies, and state tax and fiscal policy programs

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Provided intellectual leadership, designed marketing plans, managed the editing and production of publications

 

​Wrote op-eds and articles on urban policy issues

 

Worked with a bi-partisan group of mayors and policymakers to advance goals

 

Led communications, events, publications, and database teams to accomplish objectives  

 

Created and directed programs that roughly tripled the budget within six years  

 

Directed three new departments: Center for Medical Progress, Center for Rethinking Development, Empire Center for Policy Research 

 

Worked with scholars to inform the debate in their areas

 

Inaugurated two annual award programs, the Social Entrepreneurship Award and the Urban Innovators Award, for successful innovations in the private and public sectors

 

Increased fundraising from $375,000 to $600,000 in first twelve months as President

 

Directed all aspects of the Commonwealth Foundation to become Pennsylvania’s leading conservative free-market think tank and the leading voice opposing excessive government spending

 

Devised and implemented the plan for organization, including programmatic and fundraising goals, while managing a staff of four

 

Worked with policymakers to advance Foundation’s agenda

 

Was the public face of the Foundation by writing op-eds, speaking before diverse audiences, and networking with business leaders and journalists

 

Revived moribund organization, creating new intellectual agenda

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Expanded public awareness of Foundation by increasing the regular contributions to the op-ed pages of the Harrisburg Patriot-News and the Philadelphia Daily News, and becoming regularly cited in press stories in the leading papers 

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Wrote appellate and trial briefs and motions

 

Managed and conducted discovery

 

Assisted in trial preparations

 

Conducted legal research and wrote legal memoranda

Wrote drafts of published and unpublished opinions

 

Read briefs and wrote bench memos to judge recommending disposition of case

 

Conducted legal research

Researched and developed ideas for legislation

 

Solved local legislative problems for members

Conducted opposition research, identified issues, and analyzed voter surveys for political campaigns

 

Worked with legal team to analyze effects of property tax reduction proposition on local government

 

Ran statewide speakers bureau for initiative campaign