John J. Pitney
John Jack Pitney, Jr. (born June 18, 1955) is an American political scientist. He is the Roy P. Crocker Professor of Politics at Claremont McKenna College.[1]
Early life and education
Pitney was born in 1955, the son of a milkman and a homemaker.[2][3] He grew up on the west side of Saratoga Springs, New York, where his grandfather told him stories of local political corruption and he volunteered for Richard Nixon's 1968 presidential campaign.[3] He attended Union College, graduating in 1977 as co-valedictorian.[4] He received his doctorate in political science from Yale University in 1985; his dissertation focused on government handling of toxic waste.[4]
Career
From 1978 to 1984, Pitney worked as a legislative assistant for three Republicans: New York state senator John R. Dunne, Alfonse D'Amato (R‑NY), and future vice president Dick Cheney (then R‑WY AL).[4]
In 1984, he joined the U.S. House Republican Research Committee as a senior domestic policy analyst.[4] In 1986, he joined the faculty of the government department at Claremont McKenna College (CMC).[4] From 1989 to 1991, he took a leave to serve as the deputy director and then acting director of the Republican National Committee's research department.[4]
Pitney is a frequently quoted and interviewed in the political media.[3]
He is also an expert on the politics of autism and wrote a book on the subject.[3]
Pitney was a loud critic of former president Donald Trump and renounced his membership in the Republican Party the night he was elected.[3][5]
Books
- Connelly, William F.; Pitney, John J., Jr. (1994). Congress' Permanent Minority?: Republicans in the U.S. House. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-8226-3032-6.
- The Art of Political Warfare. University of Oklahoma Press. September 2001. ISBN 978-0-8061-3382-9.
- Ceaser, James W.; Busch, Andrew E.; Pitney, John J., Jr. (2009). Epic Journey: The 2008 Elections and American Politics. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-1144-5.
- Bessette, Joseph M.; Pitney, John J. (2011). American Government and Politics: Deliberation, Democracy and Citizenship (2nd ed.). Belmont, Massachusetts: Wadsworth. ISBN 978-1133587897.
- Ceaser, James W.; Busch, Andrew E.; Pitney, John J., Jr. (2013). After Hope and Change The 2012 Elections and American Politics. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-4745-1.
- Pitney, John J., Jr.; Levin, John-Clark (November 2013). Private Anti-Piracy Navies How Warships for Hire are Changing Maritime Security. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books. ISBN 978-0-7391-7332-9.
- The Politics of Autism: Navigating The Contested Spectrum. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. August 2015. ISBN 978-1-4422-4960-8.
- Un-American: The Fake Patriotism of Donald J. Trump. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. April 2020. ISBN 978-1-5381-2925-8.
References
- "John J. Pitney, Jr., Ph.D." Claremont McKenna College. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
- Pitney, John J. (March 7, 1987). "Learning from My Father". John J. Pitney, Jr. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- Ding, Jaimie (March 30, 2018). "From Commentary To Classroom: CMC Professor Pitney Discusses His Political Party Shift". The Student Life. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- "John J. Pitney, Jr". John J. Pitney, Jr. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- Pitney, John J., Jr. (May 23, 2017). "I was a Republican until Donald Trump hijacked my party". USA Today. Retrieved January 19, 2021.