# Will Wilkinson

> Will Wilkinson is a political analyst, essayist, and policy intellectual who spent two decades navigating the intellectual terrain between libertarianism and liberalism before landing somewhere more interesting than either. A former research fellow at the Cato Institute and vice president at the Niskanen Center, he has written for The New York Times, The Economist, The Atlantic, and dozens of other outlets. Currently working in government affairs at Persona, a digital identity company, he continues to publish the 'Model Citizen' newsletter on Substack, where his blend of philosophy, political science, and sharp commentary finds its most faithful audience.

- **Role:** Director of Government Affairs at Persona
- **Organizations:** Persona, Niskanen Center, Progressive Policy Institute, The New York Times, The Economist, Cato Institute, Mercatus Center, Institute for Humane Studies, TBD (Block Inc.)
- **From:** Independence, Missouri, USA
- **Nationality:** American-Canadian
- **Education:** B.A., University of Northern Iowa, M.A. in Philosophy, Northern Illinois University, Ph.D. Studies (All But Dissertation), University of Maryland, College Park
- **Known for:** Contributing Opinion Writer for The New York Times, U.S. Politics Correspondent for The Economist magazine, Vice President for Policy at the Niskanen Center

## Career timeline

- **1998-2004** — Ph.D. studies in Philosophy at University of Maryland (ABD)
- **2004-2010** — Research Fellow and Managing Editor of Cato Unbound at the Cato Institute
- **2010** — Departed Cato Institute, began broader policy and journalism career
- **2010-2014** — Academic Coordinator at Mercatus Center, George Mason University; Program Director at Institute for Humane Studies
- **2015-2021** — Vice President for Policy at the Niskanen Center; Contributing Opinion Writer at The New York Times
- **2020-2021** — U.S. Politics Correspondent at The Economist
- **2021-2022** — Senior Fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute
- **2022-2025** — Head of Policy at TBD, a division of Block Inc. (Jack Dorsey's company)
- **2025-present** — Director of Government Affairs at Persona (digital identity verification)

## Achievements

- Contributing Opinion Writer for The New York Times
- U.S. Politics Correspondent for The Economist magazine
- Vice President for Policy at the Niskanen Center
- Authored influential Cato Institute paper: 'In Pursuit of Happiness Research: Is It Reliable? What Does It Imply for Policy?'
- Pioneer of 'liberaltarianism' as a political philosophy synthesis
- Published across The Atlantic, Washington Post, Bloomberg View, Forbes, Politico, Vox, Reason, and more
- Founded 'Model Citizen' newsletter on Substack
- Speaker at Identity Week America on digital identity policy

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — Joined Persona as Director of Government Affairs, focusing on digital identity verification policy
- **2024-12** — Ended three-year tenure as Head of Policy at TBD (Block Inc.)
- **2024** — Continued publishing Model Citizen newsletter on Substack
- **2023** — Featured speaker at Identity Week America on digital identity policy

## Links

- Website: https://willwilkinson.net
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wjkwilkinson
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/willwilkinson
- Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wlknsn.xyz
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wjkwilkinson

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/will-wilkinson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-01