In addition to your usual political science coursework that introduces you to theories and methods of understanding politics, we also offer a number of hands-on learning experiences, internship opportunities, and short courses with political experts. These applied politics opportunities are an excellent way to build transferable job skills and begin to network for your future career.
Hawkeye Poll:
The Hawkeye Poll is a cooperatively run public opinion survey headed by Professor Fred Boehmke. You will have the opportunity to engage in every aspect of designing and fielding a scientific survey. Information about past Hawkeye Polls is available here:
http://www.uiowa.edu/election/news-events/index.html#hawkeyepoll
You can also earn course credit while participating in the poll through the following course:
Hawkeye Poll Course Description 30:101:001:
The Hawkeye Poll course covers the basics of survey design, sampling, question wording, interpreting responses, and writing press releases; students work together to help design questions as part of the Hawkeye Poll, a collaborative teaching and research enterprise in the Department of Political Science.
Iowa Policy Research Organization (IPRO):
IPRO is a unique opportunity for students to engage in the analysis of critical public policy issues for the state legislature and non-profit organizations. See more at the following website:
Internships:
Internships are an excellent way to acquire job-related skills and build your resume while you are still in college. Check out the following opportunities:
Washington Center Internships: http://careers.uiowa.edu/twc/
Des Moines Center Internships*: http://careers.uiowa.edu/desmoinescenter/
*Fall 2012 is the last semester for the Des Moines Center, but Political Science will have an internship program in place in Des Moines for Spring 2012 and beyond. Stay tuned for more information!
For more opportunities see the Department of Political Science Information on internships:
http://clas.uiowa.edu/polisci/undergraduate/opportunities
Applied Politics Short Courses:
The Department offers 1 credit hour courses on current relevant political issues in the Fall and Spring semesters. These courses are taught by distinguished lecturers and run generally for one to two weeks. This fall is election season and your Political Science Department is the place to get connected with influential insiders in the political arena! The seminars listed below are fantastic opportunities to learn from and network with well-known political experts who will share their knowledge and hard-earned experience with you during the peak of the campaign season. These courses have also received rave reviews from students, you could even consider taking both classes as they are largely in the same time slot. If you are interested in practical politics, or want to run for public office some day, these courses will offer you a great deal of insight into how politics actually works on the state and national level.
030:192:002 Special Topics in Politics: Reapportionment and Redistricting: How Iowa Compares to the national scene and other states. September 10-20, 4:30-7:10 p.m. 1 s.h. Charles Krogmeier
Are you interested in Iowa politics? Considering an internship in Des Moines? Ever wonder how boundaries are drawn for the U.S. House and Iowa State legislative districts, how this compares nationwide, and the impact this has on the political arena? Charles Krogmeier's seminar will offer you the opportunity to explore these questions and more while state and national political campaigns impacted by recent redistricting are in full swing. Krogmeier has served the State of Iowa in many different capacities during the last 20+ years, including as General Counsel for the Department of Transportation, Deputy Attorney General, First Deputy for the Secretary of State, Director of the Department of Management, Chief of Staff for former Governor Culver, and Director of the Department of Human Services. He is now an attorney with Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman out of Cedar Rapids. The class will be graded based upon class participation, one exam and one paper.
030:192:003 Special Topics in Politics: Building and Managing Winning Political Campaigns. October 15-19, 4:00-6:40 p.m. 1 s.h. Joseph Gaylord
Are you planning a career in politics or simply interested in political campaigns? This seminar gives you a unique opportunity to learn from and network with a real Washington insider, Joseph Gaylord. This course emphasizes the five key elements of a winning campaign; the candidate, organization, adequate finance, a believable contrast with the opponent and a base of support on which to build. Gaylord served as Executive Director of the National Republican Congressional Committee from 1982 until 1989, and then directed GOPAC in "the long campaign" to win GOP control of the U.S. House. His peers in the American Association of Political Consultants named him the Co-Campaign Manager of the Year in 1994. Gaylord created the Campaign Management College for the Republican National Committee and founded the American Campaign Academy. In addition to working with hundreds of U.S. campaigns, Gaylord has lectured, consulted and trained candidates in Brazil, Chile, Norway, Russia, Belgium, Croatia and Hong Kong. He is the author of three books, and was a Fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School in 2005 and the Dole Institute at the University of Kansas in 2008.
030:192:001 Special Topics in Politics: Labor and Presidential Politics. Not currently offered in Fall 2012. 1 s.h. David Bonior
Have you ever wondered about the role of labor in presidential elections? How do labor unions make endorsements for Presidents? This seminar focuses on the role played by organizing labor in the primary/caucus elections and the general election. Mechanisms of an election campaign will be explored including organizing on the ground, in the air, and through the Internet in the early key caucus/primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. A particular emphasis will be directed at Iowa. David Bonior was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976, has served as Democratic Whip in the House in the 1990s making Bonior the third and second highest-ranking Democrat in the House at the time. Bonior has previously taught labor studies at Wayne State University, and is now the Chairman of American Rights at Work.