The Washington Monthly is a bimonthly nonprofit magazine of United States politics and government that is based in Washington, D.C.
The magazine's founder is Charles Peters, who started the magazine in 1969 and continues to write the "Tilting at Windmills" column in each issue. Paul Glastris, former speechwriter for Bill Clinton, has been the Monthly's editor-in-chief since 2001. In 2008, the magazine switched from a monthly to a bimontly publication schedule, citing high publication costs.
Diane Straus Tucker is the magazine's current publisher. Past staff editors of the magazine include Jonathan Alter, Taylor Branch, James Fallows, Joshua Green, David Ignatius, Mickey Kaus, Nicholas Lemann, Suzannah Lessard, Jon Meacham, Timothy Noah, Joe Nocera, and Steven Waldman. Markos Kounalakis is the president and publisher emeritus
The politics of the Monthly are left of center. Founder Charles Peters refers to himself as a New Deal Democrat and advocates the effective use of government to address social problems. His columns also frequently emphasize the importance of a vigilant "fourth estate" in keeping government honest.
The Monthly is one of a growing number of magazines to feature a continuing blog; the popular "Political Animal" was written principally by Kevin Drum for several years, with frequent guest contributions by the Monthly's current and alumni editors. In 2008, Steve Benen took over as lead blogger; in 2012, he was succeeded by Ed Kilgore.
In addition to "Political Animal," the magazine's website also hosts "Ten Miles Square," a general blog featuring posts from staff and political scientists, which debuted in 2011, and "College Guide," a blog about higher education, which the magazine began offering in 2009.
Read more about Washington Monthly: Annual College Rankings