2007 Carey McWilliams Award

Presented each year to honor a major journalistic contribution to our understanding of politics.

Award Committee: Kathleen Hall Jamieson, University of Pennsylvania, Chair; Donald C. Baumer, Smith College; Merle Black, Emory University

Recipient: Ronald Brownstein, Los Angeles Times

Citation: The Carey McWilliams Award is presented each year in recognition of “a major journalistic contribution to our understanding of politics.” The 2007 award recognizes the career achievements of Ronald Brownstein of The Los Angeles Times. A superb journalist and commentator upon American politics, Brownstein’s intelligence, experience, creativity, judgment, and stylistic lucidity have made him one of the most respected and influential journalistic voices in modern American political life. We honor the quality and breadth of his political journalism, the hundreds of stories and columns he has written that have illuminated American politics.    

Brownstein has taken special interest in using national polls to interpret political life. He has often made use of political scientists to go beyond the news story of the hour to provide readers with a richer understanding of political trends and processes. Just as he often turns to political scientists for their expertise, so do many political scientists look to his insightful and creative reporting to learn about consequential trends in the society and politics of the United States. In addition to his superb reporting, Brownstein has become an outstanding columnist who is deeply interested in educating readers about matters of public affairs.        

Brownstein was born in New York City on April 6, 1958. He graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1979. He is the author or editor of five books (with a new book, The Second Civil War: How Extreme Partisanship Has Paralyzed Washington and Polarized America, to be published in the fall of 2007) as well as scores of articles and columns about American politics and public policy.