July 19 - July 26, 2009

In American Politics & Public Affairs, you’ll learn firsthand from Washington experts about the presidency, Congress, the judiciary, political parties, women and politics, public opinion, and political behavior. In the classroom and on field trips, you’ll meet with key elected officials, Capitol Hill staff, lobbyists, and policy makers to discuss campaigns, legislative priorities, and emerging national issues. Then put what you learn into practice and gain hands-on politics and policy experience as you work on a realistic campaign simulation.

Georgetown was founded in the same year the Constitution took effect, in the city that is the center of power and politics. It is rumored that the original Declaration of Independence was hidden on campus when the British invaded Washington in the 1800s. Nowhere else will you get such a uniquely intimate view of the people, institutions, and processes that shape American policy.

Former president Bill Clinton and Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia are Georgetown alumni. Prominent officials— including a former secretary of state and a former presidential campaign manager have chosen to extend their legacies as members of the Georgetown faculty.

Tuition:
$1,800 includes room and meal plan
$1,575 for students living at home

Program Application.pdf
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

For more information, please contact scsspecialprograms@georgetown.edu

Sample Day

* Program Sample Days are tentative

Capstone

It's the summer of 2009, and Senator Mark Warner of Virginia suddenly resigns his seat to take a spot in Obama's Cabinet.  Mindful of the Illinois Senate appointment debacle, Virginia's state government decides to hold a summer Senate campaign.  But the outcome is far from certain, as Virginia is a purple state trending Democratic in the last six years.  You are part of the action: as a candidate, campaign manager, communications director, press secretary, political advertising guru, Washington Post reporter, columnist, network news anchor, broadcast journalist, or popular cable network pundit.  What issues will you run on?  How will you get votes?  How will you cover the action?  Who will win?

Pre-Departure Readings

Mahler, Jonathan. "After the Imperial Presidency," The New York Times Magazine, November 9, 2008.

Remnick, David. "The Joshua Generation: Race and the Campaign of Barack Obama," The New Yorker, November 17, 2008.

Epps, Garrett. "The Founders' Great Mistake," The Atlantic January/February 2009.

Brands, H.W. "Founders Chic," The Atlantic, September 2003.