Jonathan Cowan
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Cowan is the President and a co-founder of Third Way
, a think tank. He has over 15 years of experience at senior levels of politics and government, helping to found and run three advocacy and policy organizations, and helping run a major federal agency.
in 1987 with a degree in English. Cowan was a Visiting Fellow
at Harvard's Institute of Politics
in 2000, where he taught a course on youth and political advocacy.
.
In 1992, Cowan co-founded, with Rob Nelson
, the organization Lead...or Leave
. The organization, with no paying members, was primarily funded by American businessman Pete Peterson
. In 1994 Cowan and Nelson co-authored the book Revolution X: A Survival Guide for Our Generation. Lead...or Leave closed in May 1995. During its three-year life, it raised $13 million, and registered 175,000 college students to vote.
During the second Clinton administration
, Cowan served as Chief of Staff of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
, helping to manage a federal agency of 9,000 employees with a $27 billion annual budget. During that presidency, Cowan also served as Senior Advisor to Secretary Andrew M. Cuomo, and as Acting Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs under Secretary Henry Cisneros
.
In 2000, Cowan became president of the new organization Americans for Gun Safety, a non-profit organization that advocated for the rights of all Americans to own firearms for personal uses such as sport and protection. The organization was initially funded by Andrew McKelvey
.
Americans for Gun Safety eventually combined with the AGS Foundation to become Third Way, a think tank
, which Cowan co-founded along with Matt Bennett, Jim Kessler, and Nancy Hale. Third Way is a political non-profit organization that works with the idea of making the lives of middle class
society better. Bennett was President Bill Clinton's Deputy Assistant for Intergovernmental Affairs. Several former staff members now work in the Obama administration.
Cowan has authored Op-Eds for and been featured in numerous media outlets including The New York Times
, The Washington Post
, USA Today
, U.S. News & World Report
, TIME
, Newsweek
, The Today Show, Good Morning America
, Nightline and 60 Minutes
.
based on a 'cut and privatize' approach", the central tenets of which were benefit cuts, partial privatization
(similar to President George W. Bush
's later privatization proposal), and means test
ing.
Third Way (think tank)
Third Way is a public policy think tank. The organization focuses on policies for private-sector economic growth, national security strategy, a clean energy, education and anti-poverty reform, and divisive culture issues. Third Way describes itself as moderate and progressive. In the media, the...
, a think tank. He has over 15 years of experience at senior levels of politics and government, helping to found and run three advocacy and policy organizations, and helping run a major federal agency.
Early life and education
Jonathan Cowan (also known as Jon Cowan) was born in Cleveland Ohio on May 9, 1965. Cowan was raised in Los Angeles for the majority of his childhood He graduated from Dartmouth CollegeDartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1987 with a degree in English. Cowan was a Visiting Fellow
Visiting fellow
A visiting fellow is an academic, often a senior academic, who is undertaking research at a different institution than his or her main institution for a limited period of time, often but not necessarily at a foreign institution. A visiting fellow can be paid or unpaid; sometimes the salary is paid...
at Harvard's Institute of Politics
Harvard Institute of Politics
Harvard Institute of Politics was created to serve as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy and inspire Harvard students into careers in politics and public service, much as President Kennedy was inspired during his days as a student at Harvard. The IOP also brings together the academic...
in 2000, where he taught a course on youth and political advocacy.
Career
From 1989 to 1992, Cowan was Press Secretary and Legislative Assistant to Congressman Mel Levine (D-CA)Mel Levine
Meldon Edises Levine is an attorney and former Democratic Congressman from California. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 1993. He graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1960 and was student body president and valedictorian at the University of California,...
.
In 1992, Cowan co-founded, with Rob Nelson
Rob Nelson (talk show host)
Rob Nelson is an American television personality, radio host and political activist.Nelson is known for being one of the founders of Lead or Leave a political action group that focused on reducing the deficit...
, the organization Lead...or Leave
Lead or Leave
Lead or Leave was an American grassroots political action group from 1992 to 1995 focused primarily on reducing the deficit. Led by Rob Nelson and Jonathan Cowan, it focused on recruiting young members. This "mini-movement" became so prominent, it was featured in several newsweeklies and papers...
. The organization, with no paying members, was primarily funded by American businessman Pete Peterson
Peter George Peterson
Peter G. Peterson is an American businessman, investment banker, fiscal conservative, author, and politician whose most prominent political position was as United States Secretary of Commerce from February 29, 1972, to February 1, 1973 under Richard Nixon. He is most well known currently as...
. In 1994 Cowan and Nelson co-authored the book Revolution X: A Survival Guide for Our Generation. Lead...or Leave closed in May 1995. During its three-year life, it raised $13 million, and registered 175,000 college students to vote.
During the second Clinton administration
Presidency of Bill Clinton
The United States Presidency of Bill Clinton, also known as the Clinton Administration, was the executive branch of the federal government of the United States from January 20, 1993 to January 20, 2001. Clinton was the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second full term...
, Cowan served as Chief of Staff of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, is a Cabinet department in the Executive branch of the United States federal government...
, helping to manage a federal agency of 9,000 employees with a $27 billion annual budget. During that presidency, Cowan also served as Senior Advisor to Secretary Andrew M. Cuomo, and as Acting Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs under Secretary Henry Cisneros
Henry Cisneros
Henry Gabriel Cisneros is a politician and businessman. A Democrat, Cisneros served as the 10th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the administration of President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997...
.
In 2000, Cowan became president of the new organization Americans for Gun Safety, a non-profit organization that advocated for the rights of all Americans to own firearms for personal uses such as sport and protection. The organization was initially funded by Andrew McKelvey
Andrew McKelvey
Andrew McKelvey was an American businessman and former chairman and chief executive of Monster Worldwide...
.
Americans for Gun Safety eventually combined with the AGS Foundation to become Third Way, a think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
, which Cowan co-founded along with Matt Bennett, Jim Kessler, and Nancy Hale. Third Way is a political non-profit organization that works with the idea of making the lives of middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
society better. Bennett was President Bill Clinton's Deputy Assistant for Intergovernmental Affairs. Several former staff members now work in the Obama administration.
Cowan has authored Op-Eds for and been featured in numerous media outlets including The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
, TIME
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, The Today Show, Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, Nightline and 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
.
Political views
In 1995, Cowan urged the federal government "to reinvent Social SecuritySocial Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
based on a 'cut and privatize' approach", the central tenets of which were benefit cuts, partial privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
(similar to President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's later privatization proposal), and means test
Means test
A means test is a determination of whether an individual or family is eligible for help from the government.- Canada :In Canada means tests are used for student finance , and "welfare" . They are not generally used for primary education and secondary education which are tax-funded...
ing.