Apr 06, 2023 - Apr 08, 2023
From April 6-8, Professors Deondra Rose and Manoj Mohanan took students from PUBPOL 155 (Public Policy Analysis) and PUBPOL 301 (Political Analysis for Policymaking), as well as members of the Polis Student Committee, to Washington D.C. Students were able to visit the Capitol and the White House, as well as meet with Duke alumni and the nonprofit organization Braver Angels.
Alumni Mixer
Politics and Policy Briefing Session with Professor Asher Hildebrand
Professor Asher Hildebrand tested the students’ civic and political knowledge during a policy briefing session before they embarked upon the White House and the Capitol. Students were given a crash course on the structure of Congress, the legislative process and decision-making influences, the structure of the Executive Branch, policy implementation, and budget and appropriations.
White House Panels
During our time on the White House campus, students were granted access to the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Here, in the location of the first televised presidential press conference under President Eisenhower, students heard from key figures from the National Security Council and the Biden Administration, a number of whom are Duke alumni.
The second White House panel included Stefanie Feldman (Duke PPS ’10), Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the Domestic Policy Advisor; Colonel Joseph (Joe) Funderburke Ph.D., Director of Strategic Planning at the National Security Council; John Keith, Senior Director for Cyber Policy at the National Security Council; and Jake Phillips, Deputy Counsel to the President and Legal Advisor to the National Security Council. Brent Robinson, Special Policy Advisor and Director for Partnerships & Global Engagement, National Security Council, moderated the discussion.
Like the first panel, panelists described nonlinear pathways to the White House. Phillips highlighted the various career paths he took, including working at think tanks, law firms, on Capitol Hill, and at the Department of Justice. Keith asserted that “people who do well here have a broad range of experience.” He shared that by the time he reached 50 years old, he thought he had missed his opportunity to work in the White House. However, he reassured the students, your career path is often a “winding road” instead of a straight shot.
Feldman credited her public policy education at the Sanford School with helping to launch her career path. “There is so much you can learn from Sanford that can help you prepare for a role in government.” She stressed the value of internships for helping students better understand certain processes that cannot be taught solely in a classroom.
The panelists gave students valuable advice for making the most of their time at Duke University, including encouraging them to take advantage of the opportunity to develop strong skills in writing, note taking, public speaking, and networking. Phillips encouraged students to “get to know the people you are with,” including classmates, professors, and colleagues, as these relationships will often open doors. Keith highlighted the importance of mentors and advised all of the students to take a class in public speaking and to learn to “write with brevity and clarity.” Colonel Funderburke agreed, encouraging the students to “be compelling and convincing” when relaying the facts; and “take emotion out of technical writing.” Expanding on this idea of the role that emotion plays in effective communication, Feldman noted that “emotion can be a powerful tool”—but only if used strategically.
Helping to put students’ time in Washington into perspective, Colonel Funderburke encouraged students to consider the panel’s advice with an eye toward the big-picture: “Don’t listen to us and think you don’t have it figured out.” Offering final words of wisdom he said, “Do well at what you are doing now….Get good grades, do well at your first job, maintain contacts with mentors, be a good person…[and] do not be afraid to communicate your ambitions.”
Capitol Building Tours
Students visited the United States Capitol, both a working office building and a symbol of American government.
Pictured here, students see the Rotunda, “the heart and center of the Capitol.” Painted on the canopy is “The Apotheosis of Washington” by Italian-American artist Constantino Brumidi. Also present in the Rotunda, are four giant John Trumbull paintings depicting the American Revolution.
Braver Angels Debate
During the trip to Washington, D.C., students participated in a respectful conversation over the issue: “Is Social Media a Threat to Democracy?”
Braver Angels debates are not competitive, but a collective exercise in civil discourse. Conducted in a light parliamentary format, they teach students to engage respectfully around difficult and divisive issues. Students think together, listen carefully to one another, and allow themselves to be touched and even changed by each other’s ideas. Participants walk out with greater empathy, tighter community relationships, and appreciation for diversity of thought.
