Allen Weinstein
Senior Democratic Institutions Adviser
Historian and writer, Professor Allen Weinstein (PhD,Yale), after an academic career, has been intimately involved in the founding and development of institutions to strengthen the democratic process throughout the world.
From 1982-84 he directed the research study that led to the creation of the National Endowment for Democracy and was acting President of the Endowment. In 1984 he served as President of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions and then went on to found and serve as President and CEO of the Center for Democracy, a Washington D.C. based non-profit foundation, from 1985 to 2003. While leading the Center for Democracy he received numerous awards including the United Nations Peace Medal (1986), The Council of Europe’s Silver Medal, and awards from the presidents of Nicaragua and Romania for assistance in their countries’ democratization processes.
A founding member in 1985 of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace and chairman of its Education and Training Committee, he remained a Director until 2001 and now serves on the Chairman’s Advisory Committee.
Professor Weinstein’s international public service activities include chairing an election observation delegation in El Salvador (1991), Nicaragua (1989-90, 1996), Panama (1988-89), the Philippines (1985-6), and Russia (1991, 1996, 2000). At the request of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Weinstein organized a bipartisan group which reported on the preparations for the Philippines’ presidential election. He has served twice as Senior Strategic Advisor to IFES, International Foundation for Election Systems (2003 and 2009-10).
In February 2005, Allen Weinstein was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and began his service as the 9th Archivist of the United States leading the National Archives and Records Administration until resigning in December 2008 to return to teaching and writing.