Politics & Public Policy

Politics & Public Policy is a broad category that encapsulates everything from social justice advocacy to law to political campaigns and community organizing. It is the critical way in which communities can engage with their government and their fellow constituents. Through participating in politics and political discourse, as well as by helping shape and formulate public policy, individuals can help set and carry out agendas on a local, state, and national level. In this way, Politics & Public Policy describes a powerful method of facilitating change and progress across a variety of issue areas; this category can encompass engagement in the form of advocacy, awareness, education, internships, projects, employment, public service, and more.

Engaged Scholarship Opportunities 

  • PEAC 053: Israeli-Palestinean Conflict: Typically offered in the Fall, this Peace and Conflict Studies course gives students an in-depth look into the origins and current state of the conflict between and within Israel and Palestine. The course’s field component gives approximately 35 students the opportunity to study abroad over Winter Break in Israel/Palestine, combining course material with real-world exposure and application.
  • POLS 031: This course explores the causes and impact of migration and the refugee crisis, as well as the impact of foreign and domestic policies. This course’s field component includes observations of immigration hearings as well as meetings with prominent NGOs in the Philadelphia area. 
  • SwatVotes: SwatVotes is a student group dedicated to increasing voter education, provide tools and guides to better understand registration, and curate resources on how to vote by mail with the goal of fostering democratic engagement at Swarthmore. 

Connect

Lang Center Associates

San Winickoff '23 Satchel Tsai '23

Sign up for an appointment with them on the LCA appointment calendar.

Key Faculty and Staff

  • Ben Berger, Associate Professor of Political Science and Executive Director of the Lang Center 
  • Keith Reeves ’88, Professor of Political Science and Department Chair; Director of the Urban Inequality and Incarceration program

  • Sa’ed Atshan ‘06, Assistant Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies

  • Krista Thomason, Associate Professor of Philosophy; Coordinator for Peace and Conflict Studies Program

  • Daniel Laurson, Assistant Professor of Sociology 

Centers

Student Groups

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Relevant Courses 

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Off-Campus Opportunities

Grants

 

Student Engagements Summer 2021