Politics students head stateside

Seven ANU students from the School of Politics and International Relations are about to depart for a two-month internship at the centre of American political power, Washington DC.

The Washington bound students are the ninth ANU group to take up internships in the U.S. Congress since the program began in 2005. The students will be placed in the offices of Members of Congress or on the staff of congressional committees.

Program Convenor, Dr John Hart, said that “this is a unique opportunity for ANU politics students to see the workings of American government from the inside.”

“We usually find that, by the end of seven weeks on Capitol Hill, the ANU students are treated like full-time congressional staff and are doing everything that a regular staff member would do, from writing policy briefs and press releases for the Member of Congress to answering irate phone calls from constituents.”

The program is operated as a joint initiative between the School of Politics and International Relations at ANU and the Department of American Studies at Flinders University. An equal number of Flinders students participate and both ANU and Flinders students are treated as one group in Washington.

The Australian Embassy in Washington is a strong supporter of the program and each year organises a reception for the students, the staff in their congressional office and the Member of Congress.

“The Australian-American relationship remains central to Australia’s foreign policy and this ANU program helps strengthen the Embassy’s ties with lawmakers in the USA,” said Dr Hart.