Spring 2014 Book List

This semester Interim Director, Dr. Kevin Scott, selected new books for the policy seminar class.

Like years past we'll be reading,

• Bardach, Eugene. 2011. A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Sovling, 4th Edition.  Thousand Oaks: CQ Press.
• Mann, Thomas, and Norman Ornstein. 2013. It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism. New York: Basic Books.

The new content includes,

• Acemoglu, Daron, and James Robinson. 2012. Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty. New York: Crown Publishers.
• Coyle, Marcia. 2013. The Roberts Court: The Struggle for the Constitution. New York: Simon & Shuster.
• Irwin, Neil. 2014. The Alchemists: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire. New York: Penguin Press. 
• Sanger, David. 2012. Confront and Conceal: Obama's Secret Wars and Surprising Use of American Power. New York: Crown Publishers. 

Rules as a Congressional Intern

Office life as a congressional Intern can be tedious if you let it be.  In my experience offices don’t tend to expect too much out of their interns and it is your job to make them reevaluate that line of thinking.  A few things to expect:
1. Be ready to answer the phones – as an intern you are expected to act as a filter to the more senior members of your member’s staff. Answering phones is something these staffers do not like to do – thus, it is for you to do.
2. Answering phones is not fun – you will be confronted with lunatics, conspiracy theorists, and generally people with no clue how government works. They will yell at you sometimes. Expect call volume and frequency to increase when something important is happening. It is perhaps the worst aspect of this gig in my opinion.
After this, the duties of an intern are subject to your coordinator and your office.
I would highly recommend the following:
1. Work hard – this would seem to go without saying, but after a few days of doing nothing but answering horrible phone calls you might find your work ethic waning. Power through this. Staffers notice who cares and who does not. Staffers also talk to one another. You don’t want to gain the reputation as the “bad intern” in their office. It will get around.
2. Make your interests known – Your intern coordinator should know what you are interested in with regards to policy. Transportation, defense, environmental, whatever it is, try to go to briefings and hearings that pertain to it (this will also get you away from the phones for a while).
3. Work hard – in my opinion people make too much out of the whole “networking” thing on the Hill. Yes, carry business cards with you. Yes, hand them out when you can. Yes, make friends in other offices. All of these are nice touches and great ways to (maybe) be remembered. A better touch and a guaranteed way to be remembered: to be invaluable to the staffers in your office. You should strive to be the name they call when they need something.
4. The BBQ station in the Longworth cafeteria – it’s really good.

-Ryan

Monuments: More Than What You Remember From 8th Grade

I'm going to preface this with the old "my family came to visit me" excuse for posting something so obvious and touristy. 

Though I'm not sure that's entirety necessary. After living in DC for some months people tend to stop noticing things like the Washington Monument, the war memorials on the National Mall, the Capitol (Hill interns, I'm talking to you on that last one). Some people might not even venture "all the way" to the Tidal Basin to see Jefferson, or the other side of the Mall to see Lincoln and the Reflecting Pool. Anyone who grew up in Ohio might just feed you the 8th grade visit story as their reasoning for not wanting to see these sights again. To anyone using or thinking of using that excuse: you don't know what you're missing.

A lot of stuff happens in life between a WAIP experience in DC and 8th grade. Between the simple measure of time (a few years at the very least) and several life events (hopefully), you should be a person more receptive to the messages these monolithic constructions can convey. In my experience I found I didn't really pay a lot of attention during my own 8th grade trip and after a few years of taking political science and public affairs classes that these great works of art were resonating a little more than I thought.

Will this be the case for you? I certainly have no idea. Is it worth a shot? I think so. Whether its walking up the steps to see Lincolns massive frame resting so majestically, or enjoying the scenery while walking the Tidal Basin on the way to see Jefferson (check out the quotations on the panels above the statue when you get there), I can guarantee that it will at least mean more than it did when you were 13.

-Ryan

Football Saturdays in Columbus (Sort of)

Though I'm sure to draw the ire of Dr. Kolson (sorry Dr. K, I had to do it), this post will be about football (sort of). As this semester here in our nation's capitol happened to be the final semester of my senior year, it also happened to be fall semester at The Ohio State University and everyone knows what that means: Football. I unfortunately missed out on the in-person version of the majority of Urban Meyer's second undefeated regular season (one home game against Wisconsin withholding), however, this does not mean I missed out on watching the perfection surrounded by my fellow Buckeyes.
For any future Buckeye who may happen to find themselves in the predicament of waking up on Saturday morning, throwing on their scarlet and grey, and turning on the TV dripping with the anticipation of witnessing their team lay waste to some unknowing foe only to find ESPN or ABC showing the Boston College/ Maryland game - fear not. There is a place you can go where you'll swear you just stepped off High St.
Rhino Bar & Pumphouse (please don't inquire as to what exactly a "pumphouse" is because I'm pretty sure this is the only one in existence) can fill your Ohio State football void. Every Saturday Rhino is packed with fellow Ohioans, tOSU grads and fans of the Buckeyes in general (so much so that I would strongly advise getting there at least a half hour prior to the kick). It is in essence the perfect place for anyone who is feeling a little homesick for Columbus - unless of course home to you doesn't include 25 cent chicken wings (in which case I have no desire to know what your rendition of home would be).
The experience is so authentic that following games Rhino is even complete with the familiar swaying sounds of Carmen Ohio. Feel free to sway as you would back in Columbus future WAIPers.
(Disclaimer: 21 and up)

-Ryan

A Lucky Spin of the Wheel

Early in the semester, I had the opportunity to go to a Washington Redskins game. Although I'm a Browns fan, I will never pass up the opportunity to go to a NFL game, especially when it's handed to me, like it was this time. One day on my lunch break at work, I happened to have stumbled pass a food truck with 2 Redskins cheerleaders standing outside. They asked me if I wanted to win tickets to a Redskins game, and of course I answered with a resounding "yes!" I knew there was a catch, however. In order to have a chance to spin the wheel to win 2 Redskins tickets, I would have to purchase $20 worth of lottery tickets. Being easily persuaded, and having not really considered my realistic shot of winning, I bought the tickets and spun the wheel. To my amazement, the wheel landed on one of the very few spots designating 2 tickets to the Redskins game that weekend! I was so shocked that I won that my hand was trembling when I had to fill out the necessary paperwork. Since I'm not a Redskins fan, I thought I should at least take someone that was, so I ended up taking my colleague Dwight who has lived in the DC area his entire life. Although the Redskins lost and the tickets were nosebleeds (last row of the upper deck), we still had a great time and it was interesting to go to a stadium other than First Energy Stadium in Cleveland. Below is the view from our seats.

-Corey

The National Zoo

I have now visited the National Zoo twice - once with my parents and the other time with my borther and his girlfriend - and I must admit that it's one of my favorite DC attractions. Not only is the zoo metro accessible, but like many other DC tourist spots, it's also free! I must warn, however, that the zoo is very spread out and there's only one exit point, so wear comfortable shoes and prepare for a nice and long uphill walk as you leave the zoo. Nonetheless, the zoo's grounds are kept up nicely and there are a number of awesome exhibits to check out. My favorite was the Africa Trail which winds around and displays animals native to the African continent. On my second visit, the animals were particularly active. The elephant, for example, was being directed to bow down and lift its back leg up - a sight that drew great attention and awe from the crowd. The apes, as always, were also fun to watch -one of the apes was using a tree branch to dig food out of a PVC pipe. The picture below is from the ape exhibit.

-Corey

March On Washington

On August 28th, I had the privilege of waiting in the rain, fighting the crowds, and being at the Lincoln Memorial for the 50th anniversary of March On Washington.  This is the march that culminated with Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech.  In addition to other notable speakers like Jamie Foxx, Oprah Winfrey, and King's surviving relatives, three United States Presidents made remarks on this Occasion.  Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama weighed in on civil rights progress in the last 50 years and their vision for continued progress in the future.  Despite the rain and the wait for security, it was great to be at this celebration during one of my first days in DC.

JP Suffron

9/11 Pentagon Memorial

On September 11, I visited the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on that horrific day. The memorial is by far one of the most elegant, yet at the same time, simple tributes I've ever visited. The design of the memorial is interesting - each victim's age and location at the time of the attack are incorporated into the memorial by the unique placement and direction of 184 cantilevered benches, one for each of the victims. Each bench is made of stainless steel and inlaid with granite, with the name of the victim inscribed onto the side and a pool of flowing water underneath the bench. The 184 memorial benches are arranged on age lines according to the year the victim was born. The age lines are denoted by stainless steel strips that cut through the memorial landscape. Each bench is also specifically positioned to distinguish victims who were in the Pentagon from those who were on board Flight 77. If you can see the name of the victim and the Pentagon in the same view, then those were individuals who were in the Pentagon. For those that were on board Flight 77, you see the name and the direction of the plane's approach in the same view. The experience of visiting the memorial becomes moving when you understand these design elements - the very few benches near the entrance represent the young children that died on board Flight 77. The benches become more numerous and clustered as you make your way through the memorial, but then they are spaced further apart as you get closer to the bench of the oldest victim (71), although the spacing isn't nearly as dramatic as it appears at the entrance. The age range of the victims is also represented through the Age Wall. The Age Wall rises from 3 inches (the age of the youngest victim) to 71 inches (the age of the oldest victim). Visiting the memorial on September 11 was an upsetting, yet meaningful experience as many family members of the victims were in attendance. One woman even asked me if I had lost a relative in the tragedy - luckily I was able to answer "no." I would like to visit the memorial at night, as I was told there are reflecting lights that illuminate each of the benches.

-Corey

Kayaking on the Potomac

One of the first weekends we were here, a few of us Glenn Fellows decided to go for a paddle down the Potomac. For only $25 a person, we were able to each rent a single kayak and spend some time exploring DC from the unique perspective of a kayak. Although there was a long line at the docks (the weather was particularly nice that day), the line moved relatively fast and we were out on the water in a matter of no time. We paddled around Theodore Roosevelt Island and the Lincoln Memorial before heading back to the dock in Georgetown. I couldn't believe how many people were out kayaking, boating, and paddleboarding - it was definitely the thing to do on this late summer day. It was also cool to see the airplanes from Reagan flying overhead. Although it may seem like a toursity thing to do, I would recommend anyone visiting DC to spend some time on the Potomac as it will be an afternoon well spent!

-Corey

Congressional Briefings

Part of my job as an intern in the House of Representatives is to spend time attending the many briefings and policy talks that are given every day on the Hill.  These briefings cover every topic imaginable, and are given in all different styles and formats.  Generally I will get asked by a staffer from our office to attend one and then report back with a brief memo highlighting the important details for them or any other staff who might need some quick info on that issue.  Since today is a relatively slow day, I thought I would highlight two of the more interesting talks I have been to thus far.

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to listen to a panel on antibiotic-resistant diseases, highlighted by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Thomas Frieden.  I have a minor in public health, so this topic was already of particular interest to me.  I spent a month in India this past May participating in a global public health study abroad program, and while there wrote a term paper on the effects of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in India.  It was truly a blessing to have the opportunity to hear one of the world's most prestigious public health individuals speak on a topic of such high interest to me.  I won't bore you with all the public health details, but Dr. Frieden did a great job of highlighting the need for further funding and research to fight off drug resistant diseases.  Another interesting thing that I noticed during this talk was how odd it is when members of Congress show up to speak.  They kind of show up randomly throughout the presentation, and then get up and give a broad speech for 5 minutes with information you already learned.  It is all political posturing, but people seem to enjoy it anyway.


The most interesting/famous person I heard speak was Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook, at the Newseum.  The Newseum is a fantastic facility all in itself, definitely worth the price of admission (or free if you go with WAIP like I did).  Zuckerberg was there for a conversation with the editor in chief of The Atlantic.  He answered questions about the future of Facebook, his personal life, his political views, immigration, government efficacy, and several other topics.  I really enjoyed his talk and came away feeling much differently than I did when I saw The Social Network.  He was thoughtful with his answers, and gave nothing away about his political beliefs.  However, watching him speak was like watching capitalism in action.  The guy is a force.  He is a tireless worker, and an example of the ingenuity that has always led American business.  My favorite anecdote that he gave came when he was asked about the extremely partisan nature of Congress.  Zuckerberg pointed out that the country is very divided on many issues and that maybe the amount that is getting done right now is what the people really want done.  Granted, he said this before the shutdown, but I think what he said rings true.  He sounded like a mini-James Madison, channeling Federalist No. 10.    This talk was also my first insight into the privileges that come with having a congressional ID.  Tara (the other intern in my office from Leeds University in the UK) and I simply walked up to this closed event and said we were there for our office.  They took us right in and gave us a seat near the front.  Here is a picture she took.

That seems like enough for now.

Tom McGraw