While majors in Government at Hamilton focus on the process of decision-making, public policy majors focus on the outcomes, from massive programs such as Medicare and Social Security to the details of social services and education policy. Public policy at Hamilton is an interdisciplinary concentration. It draws on the tools and insights of political science, economics and philosophy to evaluate governmental decisions and design more effective programs. This practical approach to real-world problems makes the study of public policy a hands-on major where students can make a real difference in the lives of people and communities.
Why draw on three disciplines? Because in the real world, policy decisions have three distinct dimensions. Students evaluate those decisions by asking these fundamental questions:
Taken together, these perspectives give students the sophisticated tools needed to analyze governmental decisions, to research issues and practices, and to write and speak with force and clarity about public policy.
One fascinating aspect of the public policy concentration is the opportunity it offers students to get involved in practical work before graduation. As part of the Senior Program, students may choose from projects submitted by a wide variety of state and local government agencies.
The public policy concentration provides students the opportunity to connect abstract and theoretical knowledge with concrete, real-world problems, bridging the gap between the classroom and the "real" world. Each year, students take on a crucial policy issue and together design a reform plan. For example, students responded to a court order that found New York State's system for financing public education unconstitutional. Hamilton students redesigned the system to provide greater educational resources for poor students across the state.
Many public policy students take part in the College's Term in Washington Program or Program in New York City. The Term in Washington is an integrated semester of coursework, debate and discussion during which students serve internships in a variety of congressional, executive and nongovernmental offices. The Program in New York City allows students to take a semester-long integrated course of study while living in Manhattan. Study includes a seminar, a topics and issues course, an independent research project and an internship in a firm or organization with a global reach.
From namesake Alexander Hamilton forward, the College has established a rich legacy of distinguished public service. Graduates include statesman and Nobel laureate Elihu Root, ambassador and presidential advisor Sol Linowitz, ambassador Edward S. "Ned" Walker Jr., governors, legislators, and many others. The public policy program and the Government Department sustain and nurture this tradition through courses, special programs and student-faculty interaction focused on political actions, values and institutions.
The public policy concentration provides students the opportunity to connect abstract and theoretical knowledge with concrete, real-world problems, bridging the gap between the classroom and the "real" world. Each year, students take on a crucial policy issue and together design a reform plan. For example, students responded to a court order that found New York State's system for financing public education unconstitutional. Hamilton students redesigned the system to provide greater educational resources for poor students across the state.
Many public policy students take part in the College's Term in Washington Program or Program in New York City. The Term in Washington is an integrated semester of coursework, debate and discussion during which students serve internships in a variety of congressional, executive and nongovernmental offices. The Program in New York City allows students to take a semester-long integrated course of study while living in Manhattan. Study includes a seminar, a topics and issues course, an independent research project and an internship in a firm or organization with a global reach.
From namesake Alexander Hamilton forward, the College has established a rich legacy of distinguished public service. Graduates include statesman and Nobel laureate Elihu Root, ambassador and presidential advisor Sol Linowitz, ambassador Edward S. "Ned" Walker Jr., governors, legislators, and many others. The public policy program and the Government Department sustain and nurture this tradition through courses, special programs and student-faculty interaction focused on political actions, values and institutions.
The public policy concentration provides students the opportunity to connect abstract and theoretical knowledge with concrete, real-world problems, bridging the gap between the classroom and the "real" world. Each year, students take on a crucial policy issue and together design a reform plan. For example, students responded to a court order that found New York State's system for financing public education unconstitutional. Hamilton students redesigned the system to provide greater educational resources for poor students across the state.
Many public policy students take part in the College's Term in Washington Program or Program in New York City. The Term in Washington is an integrated semester of coursework, debate and discussion during which students serve internships in a variety of congressional, executive and nongovernmental offices. The Program in New York City allows students to take a semester-long integrated course of study while living in Manhattan. Study includes a seminar, a topics and issues course, an independent research project and an internship in a firm or organization with a global reach.
From namesake Alexander Hamilton forward, the College has established a rich legacy of distinguished public service. Graduates include statesman and Nobel laureate Elihu Root, ambassador and presidential advisor Sol Linowitz, ambassador Edward S. "Ned" Walker Jr., governors, legislators, and many others. The public policy program and the Government Department sustain and nurture this tradition through courses, special programs and student-faculty interaction focused on political actions, values and institutions.
