All American Entertainment Named to Inc. Best Workplaces in 2022. Read more
AAE Named to Inc. Best Workplaces in 2022. Read more
Norman Ornstein

Norman Ornstein

Keynote Speaker: Bestselling Author, Political Analyst & Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute

Norman Ornstein Biography

Norman Ornstein is an emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He is a contributing editor and writer for The Atlantic and has been an election eve analyst for CBS News and BBC News. He is also Chairman of the Board of the Campaign Legal Center. Ornstein is Vice President of the Matthew Harris Ornstein Memorial Foundation, named in memory of his son Matthew, who died accidentally on January 3, 2015 after a ten year struggle with serious mental illness. The Foundation, which sponsors a summer debate institute for public school kids in the Washington, DC area, spearheaded the documentary The Definition of Insanity, which premiered at the Miami Film Festival in March 2020 and was broadcast nationally on PBS in April 2020, about the transformational program on criminal justice and mental illness created by Judge Steve Leifman in Miami-Dade Country, Florida.

Ornstein was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004. He was named one of the top 100 global thinkers in 2012 by Foreign Policy Magazine and one of the 250 most influential people in Washington in 2021 by Washingtonian Magazine. His many books include The New York Times bestseller, 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 (2017) with EJ Dionne and Tom Mann, which was immediately on the New York Times and Washington Post bestseller lists. Ornstein has a BA from the University of Minnesota and an MA and PhD from the University of Michigan.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Norman Ornstein and other top speakers and celebrities.

Norman Ornstein Speaking Topics

Understanding the Upcoming Election

What's So Funny About Washington

Other Topics

Politics and Washington, The Bush White House, The Elections Ahead, The Politics of Health Policy, Politics and Economic Policy, Politics and Foreign Policy

It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: Political Polarization in Washington

Nonpartisan congressional scholar Norm Ornstein discusses the hyperpartisanship that has seeped into every part of our political process. With Congress deadlocked and our two main political parties abandoning the idea of compromise, our political system is at a standstill. Ornstein identifies the two overriding problems in our institutions – the parliamentary shape our system has taken and the vehemently adversarial parties than have become ideologically extreme. With nothing happening simply for the good of the country, both sides would rather block bills they once supported than let the other Party have a “win.” While Ornstein states that there is no panacea, he does offer useful reform ideas, endorsing solutions like greater public participation, an institutional restructuring of the House and Senate, and a focus on fixing the true causes of the dysfunction rather than a rinse-and-repeat cycle of “throwing the bums out.”

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, Its 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.

  • The American Political Landscape
  • The Direction of the Obama Administration in Politics and Policy
  • The Politics of Health Care Reform
  • Politics and Economic Policy
  • What's So Funny About Washington (Half Humorous, Half Serious Talk)

Norman Ornstein Videos

How to Fix Democracy | Norman Ornstein - YouTube
State of emergency: Norman Ornstein on Trump's border wall
Norman Ornstein | 2014 Thomas W. Lambeth Lecture at UNC-Chapel Hill

How to book Norman Ornstein?

Our booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure talent like Norman Ornstein for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment for over 15 years. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers. Fill out a booking request form for Norman Ornstein, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get pricing information and check availability for Norman Ornstein or any other celebrity of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Norman Ornstein?

Booking fees for Norman Ornstein, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. Pricing often varies according to the circumstances, including the talent's schedule, market conditions, length of presentation, and the location of the event. Speaker fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. For the most current fee to hire Norman Ornstein, please fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak with an experienced booking agent.

Who is the agent for Norman Ornstein?

All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Norman Ornstein for clients worldwide for more than 15 years. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Norman Ornstein for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service talent booking agency?

All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. We do not exclusively represent Norman Ornstein or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for Norman Ornstein or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage.


Norman Ornstein is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Business, Health and News & Media. The estimated speaking fee range to book Norman Ornstein for live events is $10,000 - $20,000, and for virtual events Below $10,000. 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 Ben Stein, Linda Chavez and Katie Pavlich. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Norman Ornstein for an upcoming event.

Norman Ornstein Speaking Topics

  • Understanding the Upcoming Election

  • What's So Funny About Washington

  • Other Topics

    Politics and Washington, The Bush White House, The Elections Ahead, The Politics of Health Policy, Politics and Economic Policy, Politics and Foreign Policy

  • It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: Political Polarization in Washington

    Nonpartisan congressional scholar Norm Ornstein discusses the hyperpartisanship that has seeped into every part of our political process. With Congress deadlocked and our two main political parties abandoning the idea of compromise, our political system is at a standstill. Ornstein identifies the two overriding problems in our institutions – the parliamentary shape our system has taken and the vehemently adversarial parties than have become ideologically extreme. With nothing happening simply for the good of the country, both sides would rather block bills they once supported than let the other Party have a “win.” While Ornstein states that there is no panacea, he does offer useful reform ideas, endorsing solutions like greater public participation, an institutional restructuring of the House and Senate, and a focus on fixing the true causes of the dysfunction rather than a rinse-and-repeat cycle of “throwing the bums out.”

  • 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, Its 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.

    • The American Political Landscape
    • The Direction of the Obama Administration in Politics and Policy
    • The Politics of Health Care Reform
    • Politics and Economic Policy
    • What's So Funny About Washington (Half Humorous, Half Serious Talk)

Norman Ornstein Videos

How to Fix Democracy | Norman Ornstein - YouTube
State of emergency: Norman Ornstein on Trump's border wall
Norman Ornstein | 2014 Thomas W. Lambeth Lecture at UNC-Chapel Hill
Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein - "It's Even Worse Than It Looks ...
Thomas Mann/Norman Ornstein Lecture at Colorado State University

Norman Ornstein News

How to book Norman Ornstein?

Our booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure talent like Norman Ornstein for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment for over 15 years. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers. Fill out a booking request form for Norman Ornstein, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get pricing information and check availability for Norman Ornstein or any other celebrity of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Norman Ornstein?

Booking fees for Norman Ornstein, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. Pricing often varies according to the circumstances, including the talent's schedule, market conditions, length of presentation, and the location of the event. Speaker fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. For the most current fee to hire Norman Ornstein, please fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak with an experienced booking agent.

Who is the agent for Norman Ornstein?

All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Norman Ornstein for clients worldwide for more than 15 years. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Norman Ornstein for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service talent booking agency?

All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. We do not exclusively represent Norman Ornstein or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for Norman Ornstein or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage.


Norman Ornstein is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Business, Health and News & Media. The estimated speaking fee range to book Norman Ornstein for live events is $10,000 - $20,000, and for virtual events Below $10,000. 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 Ben Stein, Linda Chavez and Katie Pavlich. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Norman Ornstein for an upcoming event.

BOOKING INFORMATION REQUEST
NORMAN ORNSTEIN

We are happy to assist you with your interest in booking a speaker or celebrity for your event, your organization, and the type of talent you would like to secure, and an agent will be in touch shortly.

Fill out the form below to or call us at 1-800-698-2536 if need immediate assistance.

Tell us about your event!

We respond to most inquiries within 4 hours. Under special circumstances, it may take up to 24 hours.


This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.