State of the Community: Students as Political Consultants

Abstract

Political Science departments across the country offer (and often require) a Senior Capstone course as part of the major. The Wahlke Report recommended including such a course almost twenty years ago and the AAC&U considers it a “high-impact practice.” Colleges and Universities are also advocating broad efforts at civic engagement — an approach to academic work for which political science majors are uniquely qualified. This paper describes the successes and failures of partnering a senior capstone course with seven public agencies in a small city. By developing a multi-stage process for interacting with agencies, city officials, and the public, this State of the Community project provides students with a real-world opportunity to serve as political consultants. By emphasizing the importance of timeliness, teamwork, community engagement, presentation skills, and professionalism, this project can be a turning point for political science students who must soon transition from being students in the undergraduate world to being citizens in the community around them.