Alan W. Dowd is an award-winning writer with experience in opinion journalism, public-policy research and communications consultancy. He is nationally recognized for his commentaries on issues ranging from faith to foreign policy.

The author of hundreds of articles, opinion pieces and research essays, Dowd devotes most of his writing to U.S. foreign policy, national defense and international security. He is a contributing editor with The American Legion Magazine, where he publishes research-intensive features as well as columns and news briefs on national security, foreign affairs, health and politics. He also writes The Landing Zone, a column on national defense and international security featured on the American Legion's website. In addition, Dowd is a senior fellow with the Sagamore Institute Center for America's Purpose, where he publishes Capstones (which focuses on America’s leadership role in the world) and authors the Project Fortress blog (which explores the intersection of faith, liberty and national security); a senior fellow with the American Security Council Foundation, where he writes The Dowd Report (a monthly review of international events and their impact on U.S. national security); and a contributing editor with Providence, where he publishes essays in the bimonthly print journal as well as columns for the journal’s digital daily.

Dowd's work has appeared in Policy Review, Parameters, Military Officer, The Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations, The Diplomat & International Canada, Providence, The Claremont Review of Books, The Independent Review, VFW Magazine, The Washington Times, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Examiner, The Detroit News, The Sacramento Bee, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,The National Post, The Wall Street Journal Europe, The National Interest, The Jerusalem Post, The Financial Times Deutschland, The Vancouver Sun, The Kansas City Star, The Indianapolis Star, The American Interest, The Weekly Standard Online, World Politics Review, Real Clear Defense, Real Clear Politics, National Review Online, FrontPage Magazine, Doublethink Online, TCSDaily, American Thinker, The American, Current, The World & I, The American Enterprise, American Institute for Economic Research, Brownstone Institute, Fraser Forum, American Outlook, The Federalist, The American Enterprise Online, The Stream, The Military Chaplain, The Christian Post, The Lookout, Light & Life, The Plain Truth and  byFaith, where he wrote a column on the intersection of faith and public policy.

In 2013, Dowd’s "The Not-So-Pacific Pacific" received the Apex Award of Excellence in Feature Writing and the Communicator Silver Award of Distinction. In 2003, the Evangelical Press Association awarded Dowd's "When Adam Wept" most outstanding article.

Dowd began building his portfolio of work in the 1990s as a regular contributor to  The Indianapolis News. In the 2000s, he added to that portfolio as associate editor of The American Legion Magazine; contributing writer to Hudson Institute's flagship journal, American Outlook; and frequent contributor to  The Washington Times and The World&I . From 2004-2006, he was a contributing writer with The American Enterprise magazine and national security columnist for the magazine’s web-based daily, The American Enterprise Online.

In addition, Dowd's work has been featured in a number of books and anthologies, including: Enduring Issues (SIRS, 2001); Battles of the Korean War (VFW, 2003); At Issue: Justifying Military Action (Thomson/Gale, 2003); Opposing Viewpoints: The Family (Thomson/Gale, 2003); The Psalms of September (Plain Truth, 2003); At Issue: Terrorism (Thomson/Gale, 2004); At Issue: Are Efforts to Reduce Terrorism Successful? (Thomson/Gale, 2005); The Reference Shelf (H.W. Wilson, 2006); SIRS Knowledge Source (ProQuest, 2007); They Say, I Say (W.W. Norton, 2007); Volunteerism (Gale, 2008); SIRS Researcher (ProQuest, 2009); Taking Sides (McGraw Hill, 2012); and So What? A Leaders Guide (Great Commission, 2013).

Dowd has been a guest on Fox News Channel's "Fox and Friends" and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's "Counterpoint." In addition, he has been interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, CQ Researcher, Cox News Service, WISH-TV (CBS affiliate, Indianapolis), WXIN-TV (Fox affiliate, Indianapolis), KPLS Radio (Los Angeles), CBN, The Washington Times, The National Post (Canada), CFAX Radio (Vancouver), WTIC Radio (Connecticut) and WIBC Radio (Indianapolis). Dowd's work has been quoted by and/or reprinted in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Washington Post website, The Guardian, CBS News, MSNBC, BBC News Online, the Yale Journal of International Affairs , the USAToday website, Foreign Policy magazine's website and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Beyond opinion journalism, Dowd has provided communications and marketing support to organizations specializing in public-policy research, healthcare analysis, insurance and economic development. He has been affiliated with a number of leading think tanks, including the Fraser Institute, Hudson Institute and Sagamore Institute, where he heads the Center for America's Purpose. His research specialties include U.S. foreign policy, national defense and international security. Dowd also has served as director of constituent services for a U.S. congressman and as adjunct professor at both Butler University and Anderson University, designing and teaching courses on the history of U.S. foreign policy.

The list of publications and media outlets that have featured, cited or reprinted Dowd's work includes: