Ornstein studies American politics and is a frequent contributor to The Washington Post and many magazines, such as The Atlantic and the National Journal.^[7] He wrote a weekly column for Roll Call from 1993 until April 10, 2013, and is currently co-director, along with Thomas E. Mann, of the AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project. Ornstein is a registered Democrat, but considers himself a centrist, and has voted for individuals from both parties.  Ornstein is a member of the Advisory Board of the Future of American Democracy Foundation, a non-profit, nonpartisan foundation in partnership with Yale University Press and the Yale Center for International and Area Studies "dedicated to research and education aimed at renewing and sustaining the historic vision of American democracy". Ornstein is also a member of the Board of Directors of the nonpartisan election reform group Why Tuesday?. He is on the Advisory Council of the cross-partisan grassroots campaign Represent.Us, where he served as a consultant in the crafting of the American Anti-Corruption Act.