Bipartisanship is generally in short supply in Washington.  However, Hamilton’s Program in Washington students got a glimpse of it at a briefing at the American Enterprise Institute on September 19.  Senators Ron Wyden (D, Oregon) and Marco Rubio (R, Florida) discussed a bill they had introduced, the Student Right to Know Before You Go Act.

Twelve juniors have begun the fall 2012 Program in Washington, which combines academic seminars, independent research and internships. Internships this semester include Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, Democratic National Committee, and a variety of thinks tanks, consulting firms, and non-profits.   The semester  includes a co-curricular program of meetings with policymakers and excursions to take advantage of Washington’s educational and cultural assets. The program is directed this semester by Professor of Government David Paris ’71.

Students in the Washington Program met with World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean Hasan Tuluy P ’08, on April 26 at the World Bank.

On April 18, students in the Program in Washington were in the Supreme Court to hear oral argument in the case of Salazar v. Ramah Navajo Chapters, et al., which arose out of a dispute about federal payments for services contracted out to Indian tribes. The case raises important constitutional questions about congressional spending power.

Baseball has a long if not glorious history in the nation’s capital, with presidents from William Howard Taft to Barack Obama taking the mound to throw the first pitch on opening day. The original Washington Senators played from 1901 to 1960 before moving to Minneapolis to become the Minnesota Twins. A second Senators franchise played from 1961 to 1971 before moving to Dallas-Fort Worth to become the Texas Rangers.

In the Program in Washington, classroom discussions can be connected immediately to the real world of politics and policy. On April 11, for example, students in the morning seminar on campaigns and elections discussed pre-election and post-election disputes. The reading for the class, Jay Weiner’s This Is Not Florida: How Al Franken Won the Minnesota Senate Recount, featured Marc Elias ’90 as the protagonist in the long legal battle. That afternoon, students met with Elias to discuss the 2008 recount and the 2012 election.

Even with a full plate of seminars, jobs, debates, meetings and independent research, students in the Program in Washington find time to explore the capital’s cultural and sporting life. Amy Soenksen ’13 described an April 7 outing to see the DC United soccer team.

On April 4, students in the Program in Washington met with Michael Klosson ’71, Save the Children’s vice president for policy and humanitarian response. Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world. Recognized for its commitment to accountability, innovation and collaboration, Save the Children works with other organizations, governments, non-profits and a variety of local partners.

Participants in the first Levitt Leadership Institute cohort headed to Washington, D.C. for the  second phase of the program during spring break. Led by Prudence Bushnell, former U.S. Ambassador to Kenya and Guatemala, the group continued their focus on the study of leadership, a program that was enhanced by daily meetings with Washington leaders. Funding for the entire program was provided by Arthur Levitt Jr.

On March 21, students in the Program in Washington traveled to Alexandria, Va., to meet with Alicia Davis Downs ’97 and Michael Dubke ’92 to discuss technology, media and the 2012 election.