Andrew Yang rose to national prominence during the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign under the slogan “Make America Think Harder” (MATH), running on a platform promoting “universal basic income,” and a number of libertarian policies, including decriminalizing drugs, data privacy rights, and ending corporate welfare.

 

In 2021, he ran for mayor of New York City. He also Yang changed his voter registration from Democrat to Independent. In a statement about the change, Yang said, “Now that I’m not a member of one party or another, I feel like I can be even more honest about both the system and the people in it…I believe I can reach people who are outside the system more effectively. I feel more . . . independent.” In July 2022 Yang alongside former Democrats, Republicans and Independents formed the new political party Forward.

​

He currently heads a centrist third party, The Forward Party, whose motto is “Not Left. Not Right. Forward.” His new book is Hey Yang, Where's My Thousand Bucks?: And Other True Stories of Staggering Depth (2026). In this frank, often hilarious memoir, the political trailblazer examines America’s breakdown through the lens of his unexpected journey from entrepreneur to presidential candidate. 

​

His previous books -- The War on Normal People and Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy -- helped introduce the ideas of Universal Basic Income and ranked-choice voting into the mainstream. His most recent work was the novel The Last Election, cowritten with Stephen Marche.