GOVT 4998

Engaged Learning About Policy Making in Washington D.C.

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2025-2026 Catalog.

The core course at Cornell in Washington is an engaged learning class that focuses on understanding and analyzing the professional experience of being in DC. Its primary purpose is to give students a chance to sunthesize the lessons of their internship work by examining and reflecting on that work, investigating the context and structures of the policy and political world with which they are engaging, and learning and practicing the professional forms of writing that the community uses. This process occurs through readings, written assignments, guest speakers, and signature events. An internship is required for the class.

Enrollment Priority Enrollment limited to: students in the Cornell in Washington program.

Distribution Requirements (SBA-AG), (SSC-AS), (SBA-HE), (OCE-IL)

Exploratory Studies (EAAREA), (CU-CEL)

Last 4 Terms Offered 2026SP, 2025SP, 2024FA, 2024SP

Learning Outcomes

• Students will have employed engaged learning techniques through readings, class sessions, reflective journals, guest speakers, and other activities to examine the professional norms and codes of working in the policy world.
• Students will have identified the day-to-day processes of the American policy and political community in DC, its aims and goals, and how it works at the ground level.
• Students will have composed a series of policy memos and done an oral presentation in order to be able to construct a policy analysis and recommendation.
• Graduate students will have assessed the state of knowledge in their particular policy area.

View Enrollment Information