John DiIulio

Who is John DiIulio?

John J. Dilulio Jr. is a political scientist. He currently serves as the Frederic Fox Leadership Professor of Politics, Religion, and Civil Society and Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, he served as the first director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives under President George W. Bush from early 2001 to August 2001. He was the first senior Bush advisor to resign and was succeeded by Jim Towey. In a letter written a little over a year after resigning, he wrote that while "President Bush is a highly admirable person of enormous personal decency," his governing style allowed certain staffers, referred to as "Mayberry Machiavellis," to "[steer] legislative initiatives or policy proposals as far right as possible." In late 2008 and early 2009, DiIulio consulted with the transition team of President Barack Obama regarding the restructuring of the White House faith-based initiative.

DiIulio has authored numerous studies on crime, government, and the relationship between religion and public policy. He is also the co-author of the widely used textbook American Government with James Q.