William Arthur Galston

William A. Galston holds the Ezra Zilkha Chair in the Brookings Institution's Governance Studies Program, where he serves as a senior fellow. A former policy advisor to President Clinton and presidential candidates, Galston is an expert on political theory, American politics, and domestic policy. The author of eight books, his current research focuses on designing a new social contract and the implications of political polarization. He is also College Park Professor at the University of Maryland. Prior to 2006, he was the Saul Stern Professor and Acting Dean at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy, director of the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy, founding director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), and executive director of the National Commission on Civic Renewal.