Third-year Economics, Leadership and Governance (ELG) students from the School went to Washington, D.C., to attend the “Politics and Governance in the United States” seminar organized by the Department of Government at Georgetown University.

The students discussed key issues about governance and politics in America with experts at the Montara Centre for International Studies at Georgetown University. For example, professor Eric Langenbacher gave them an introduction on the politics, culture and economy of the country, Hans Noel addressed the impact of the recent American elections, and Diana Owens showed them the importance of the role of the media in society and the current political situation.

The students also had the chance to hear perspectives from teachers from different schools in Georgetown, such as Lynn Ross, from the McCourt School of Public Policy, who explained the process for public policy-making in the United States, and Abraham Newman, from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, who addressed the role of the government in the digital revolution.

Over the two weeks of the seminar, the students visited several American institutions, such as the Cato Institute think tank, the U.S. Department of State, Capitol Hill and the Democratic National Committee. They also learned about the experiences of various professionals, including Nuria Tolsá, an economist at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and Sharmila Raj, an official at USAid.

During their time in the American capital, the students visited the city’s major monuments, such as the U.S. Capitol Visitor Centre, the National Mall and the Smithsonian Museum. They were also able to enjoy Memorial Day, which fell while they were in Washington, D.C., by attending the national parade that takes place each year to celebrate the holiday.