John Jack Pitney, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 18, 1955 |
| Alma mater | Union College |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Political science |
| Institutions | Yale University Claremont McKenna College |
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]
Pitney was born in 1955,[ citation needed ] the son of a milkman and a homemaker. [2] [3] [4] 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. [5] He received his doctorate in political science from Yale University in 1985; his dissertation focused on government handling of toxic waste. [5]
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). [5]
In 1984, he joined the U.S. House Republican Research Committee as a senior domestic policy analyst. [5] In 1986, he joined the faculty of the government department at Claremont McKenna College (CMC). [5] 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. [5]
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 is a vocal critic of President Donald Trump. He renounced his membership in the Republican Party the night Trump was elected for a first term. [3] [6]
Pitney is married and has two children. [3] His wife works for Disney. [3]