For a long time, people have moved to Washington to change the world. Now more than ever, young people are eager to see improvements to our country, our climate, and our justice system. Unfortunately, polls have shown that many of those young advocates have little desire to serve in elected office. Well, there’s good news for them (and us): The nation’s capital is full of people who aren’t elected but who shape the laws that govern the country and ultimately affect the course of history. What follows is a list of 500 of those stalwarts.

This year, we expanded the roster from 250. We sought out smart, innovative people who care about issues and spend a lot of time thinking about them. They have deep subject-matter expertise and significant understanding of how DC works, with the goal of getting action. They comprehend policy’s nuances and complexities. And yes, they’re all wonks in one way or another.

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Sarah Miller
American Economic Liberties Project
Executive Director and Founder

Miller has played a central role in elevating the once-sleepy world of antitrust issues among policymakers. Her anti-Facebook coalition ruffled feathers from DC to Silicon Valley.

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Matt Stoller
American Economic Liberties Project
Director, Research

In the two years since he published Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracyand launched his Substack, state and federal government agencies have filed more than a half dozen antitrust cases against Big Tech firms, which he attributes to his early work shedding light on the issues.

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Lori Wallach
American Economic Liberties Project
Director, ReThink Trade Program

Wallach is known for constantly working the phones with senior House Democrats and is usually trading information about the latest changes coming on patent issues.