Policy and leadership were smoothly woven together in the Brookings Executive Education (BEE) course Politics and Policymaking. This open enrollment program is one of the required courses for the MS-Leadership.

Combining academic expertise and illustrious experience from Capitol Hill, this course brought to life the intersection of these two essential learning elements. Lynn Ross, PhD, of Georgetown Public Policy Institute introduced the class to the policy process via the policy windows framework. This model provides participants with the means to actively engage in the process as policy entrepreneurs.

Dennis Hastert, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

Steven Smith, professor of political science, and director of the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy at Washington University in St. Louis, discussed real world examples of rational choice theory and spatial theory.This additional analysis provides participants with a tool to assess the likelihood of policy change.

Closing the program was former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Dennis Hastert. Speaker Hastert emphasized the way to learn is to jump in and do it.  Nothing can duplicate personal experience. He additionally advised that knowledge is the greatest power an individual can acquire and the key to being effective is to stay savvy on key issues. In essence, Hastert said, “knowledge is power”.

Capitol dome photo by: SMSGT Munnaf Joarder, U.S. Army familymwr