Philip K. Howard

Philip K. Howard is the author of the bestseller The Death of Common Sense (Random House, 1995),  and The Rule of Nobody  (W.W. Norton, 2014), which was a finalist for the Hayek Book Prize.  In his recent book, Not Accountable (Rodin Books, 2023), Philip argues that public employee unions have undermined democratic governance and should be unconstitutional. He makes a case that constitutional government can’t work when elected leaders no longer control public operating machinery.

Howard has advised both parties including Vice President Al Gore’s reinventing government initiative and as a member of President Trump’s CEO council. In 2002, Philip formed Common Good, a nonpartisan coalition dedicated to simplifying laws so that Americans can use common sense in daily choices. His 2015 report, “Two Years, Not Ten Years”, exposed the economic and environmental costs of delayed infrastructure approvals, and its proposals were incorporated in the recent Infrastructure and Jobs Act.  Philip appeared several times on Jon Stewart’s “Daily Show”, and his 2010 Ted Talk  has been viewed by over 750,000 people.

Howard has been active in public and civic affairs his entire adult life. He is Senior Counsel at the law firm Covington & Burling, LLP.  A graduate of Yale College and the University of Virginia Law School, he lives in Manhattan with his wife Alexandra. They have four children.