Janice Shaw Crouse

Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse is Chairwoman of the Institute on Religion and Democracy. Her biography at townhall.com (for which she writes a regular column) provides the following information about her:

Janice Shaw Crouse, Ph.D., Senior Fellow at the Beverly LaHaye Institute, the think tank for Concerned Women for America, is a recognized authority on domestic issues, the United Nations, cultural and women’s concerns. In May, 2002, Janice Shaw Crouse was appointed as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations Children’s Summit. Subsequently, Janice Shaw Crouse was appointed by the President to the U.S. delegation to the 2003 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. The Heritage Foundation nominated her for the 2003 Bradley Prize for her influence on contemporary issues. During the first Bush Administration, Janice Shaw Crouse was a Presidential Speech Writer, authoring major presidential policy addresses as well as drafting and editing the Presidential White Paper on Welfare Reform.

Janice Shaw Crouse is frequently a guest lecturer on college campuses –– including most recently Princeton, Harvard, Tulane, Erskine, Asbury, and Georgetown –– and at United Nations related conventions like the World Congress of Families III in Mexico City and the commemoration of the International Year of the Family in Kuala, Lumpur. Janice Shaw Crouse is author of “Gaining Ground: A Profile of American Women in the Twentieth Century.” The book that she co-authored, “A Different Kind of Strength,” was a Conservative Book of the Month selection in 2000 and has been printed in two foreign editions. Her paperback, The Strength of a Godly Woman, is one of Harvest House Publishers top-five picks.

Janice Shaw Crouse's opinion editorials and columns have appeared in major newspapers across the nation as well as in journals and magazines – including the Washington Post, The Washington Times, Insight, First Things, Touchstone, USA Today, Christianity Today, Marriage Partnership, Family Voice, Citizen. She has been featured in many of those same publications and others, including Congressional Quarterly. She has been interviewed on numerous national radio and television programs including the major television networks as well as C-Span, Fox, MSNBC and CNN. She has authored scholarly and think-tank publications and Congressional Testimony. Prior to the White House, Dr. Crouse wrote for the Honorable Louis W. Sullivan, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) where she coined the phrase, “Healthy Start.”

Dr. Crouse was selected to launch CWA’s think tank in May 1999 in recognition of the need for a conservative organization solely devoted to conducting quality research on issues of concern to women. Believing in the unity of truth, the Institute recognizes the power of good data and analysis to inform and substantiate policy positions. Before coming to BLI, Dr. Crouse was President of Crouse Communications, a public relations and political analysis firm serving organizations in the United States and throughout the world. Dr. Crouse directed the work of the Ecumenical Coalition on Women and Society, a project of the Institute on Religion and Democracy. Through ECWS, she drafted, edited and produced the Christian Women’s Declaration and spearheaded the development and execution of IRD’s Washington Summit, a conference for women leaders. Previously she was the Project Director for the ECWS team attending the 1995 Fourth United Nations World Conference on Women in Beijing. In addition, she produced the Beijing Bulletin, an analysis of the events of the conference that was faxed daily to over 1250 opinion leaders in the United States. In addition to her work in preparation for the conference, analyzing the issues related to the Platform and planning strategy for influencing the conference, Dr. Crouse served as the stateside contact person and spokesperson. She also helped lead team to the 1998 World United Methodist Women’s Assembly. Dr. Crouse co-led a six-member team to the World Council of Churches Eighth Assembly in Harare, Zimbabwe. She attends and writes daily commentaries on United Nations meetings and national political conventions.

Previously, Dr. Crouse was Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Taylor University where, among other duties, she was responsible for faculty development and academic programs for a 94-member faculty. She was formerly Professor and Debate Coach at Asbury College and at Ball State University where she was selected as a mentor teacher and her debate team was ranked in the top ten nationally. She received a National Community Leadership Award from the United States Chamber of Commerce. She is a former Woman of the Year and is listed in Who’s Who Among American Women. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of Asbury College. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Good News. She serves on four national Task Forces and Coalitions on national and international issues: Against Sexual Trafficking, Against Abuse of Women, Promoting Human Rights, and Promoting Religious Freedom.

Through her speaking and writing, Dr. Crouse addresses the need to strengthen those cultural institutions that instill values in our nation’s citizens – family, church, school and community. The National Press Club’s compendium of experts describes Dr. Crouse as having “brought insight, keen perception and wisdom to domestic, family, political and women’s issues since the early 1990s as a Presidential speechwriter for Bush 41, United Nations delegate, think tank fellow, television commentator, speaker, author and columnist. Her common sense, refreshing honesty and intriguing perspective on cultural and political issues expose spin to reveal truth in a way that has earned respect and made her a popular cultural analyst. Known for applying her strong intellect and articulating her solid faith with candor and humor, she is a conservative leader who appeals across ideological and religious barriers.”