Jonathan Rauch is a gay, Jewish author, journalist and activist, born 1960 in Phoenix, Arizona. After graduating from Yale University, Rauch worked at the Winston-Salem Journal in North Carolina, for the National Journal magazine, and finally as a freelance writer.

Currently a senior writer and biweekly columnist for the National Journal, a correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, and a writer-in-residence at the Brookings Institution, Rauch is also the author of five books.

A critic of U.S. government public policy in general, and specifically in its relation to homosexuals, Rauch has pursued gay-related topics as an openly gay author since 1991 when he spoke out against hate-crimes laws in the National Journal, and is an avid proponent of same-sex marriage.

Rauch is also well known for an article he wrote in The Atlantic Monthly, March 2003, entitled "Caring for Your Introvert: The habits and needs of a little-understood group". In this article, Rauch described his own experiences as an introvert, and how being an introvert impacted his own life. For many introverts, his piece became a long sought after explanation of their own personality traits. Rauch's original article has drawn more traffic to The Atlantic Monthly site than any other article.