The American Prospect

U.S. left-progressive

Background

The American Prospect was founded in spring 1990 by economists and policy intellectuals Robert Kuttner, Robert Reich, and sociologist Paul Starr as a direct reaction to what they saw as the unchallenged rise of conservatism during the 1980s. The founders stated an explicit goal of contributing to 'the creation of a durable liberal majority' in the United States. The publication began as a quarterly academic-style journal but evolved into a more accessible policy magazine over time, becoming biweekly in 2000 following a major grant from the Schumann Center for Media and Democracy. Robert Reich later served as Secretary of Labor under President Clinton, lending the outlet significant policy-world credibility. The Prospect has received grants from major left-of-center foundations, including the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Editorially, it has long championed progressive economic positions — including aggressive antitrust enforcement, expanded labor rights, financial regulation, and universal social programs — often from a position to the left of mainstream Democratic Party leadership. Under executive editor David Dayen, the publication has sharpened its investigative focus on corporate power and economic inequality. Media bias analysts at AllSides, Media Bias/Fact Check, and Ad Fontes Media all rate the outlet on the left end of the political spectrum.

Sources

1. The American Prospect – Wikipedia
2. About – The American Prospect
3. The American Prospect – Media Bias/Fact Check
4. The American Prospect Media Bias – AllSides
5. American Prospect – Influence Watch
6. American Prospect, Inc. – Ford Foundation Grants
7. American Prospect, Inc. – Rockefeller Brothers Fund
8. The American Prospect Bias and Reliability – Ad Fontes Media

Profile compiled 2026-06-26; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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