HST 700| A Usable Past: Policymakers and the Lessons of History | Jason Steinhauer
Monday and Thursday evenings 6:00pm – 8:45pm
Can history really help us avoid the mistakes the past? This course offers a practical framework for how to integrate history into policymaking—and the perils, pitfalls and opportunities of doing so. From Congress to The White House, federal agencies to European Union member states, this course uses a series of modules, case studies and group exercises to understand how history has been, and can be, applied in meaningful ways to pressing policy questions; how to do so ethically and responsibly; and how to avoid pitfalls and shortcomings such as oversimplification, partisanship and misinformation and disinformation. Over the duration of the class, students will explore policymaking through a historical lens, engage in group reading and discussion exercises, and hear from an array of expert practitioners on how to formulate better national, regional and local policy agendas by utilizing historical thinking, historical sources, and historical research skills.
PAI 700 | Washington Practicum | Mark Jacobson
Students can earn up to three credits working as an intern for an agency or organization that focuses on public and international affairs.
Students are accepted on a rolling basis as space permits.