A reason to be optimistic about our democracy: Students are flocking to public policy programs
Democracy is an ongoing struggle. We see proof of this everywhere, from the Black Lives Matter protests, to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, to our own state’s budget debate, which was divided along party lines.
To chart a path through these divisive times, we need steady leaders — people who demand data-driven evidence about the best way to deal with seemingly intractable arguments, like how to improve policing and how to approach climate change. More than ever, our nation needs individuals trained to lead with integrity and civility and to communicate with people who have different political views.
In other words, we need leaders with rigorous education in public policy, a field of study that involves analyzing the problems we face as a society and then developing, evaluating and implementing solutions.
Students in public policy programs are taught to ask: What problems do we need to solve? What are the potential solutions? What’s the evidence for and against the various options? And how do we get everyone to work together on the best approach?
Public policy is not an abstract topic — it touches on countless aspects of our daily lives, including health care, energy, personal finance, the economy, elections, education and economic development. Public policy researchers work in many fields, such as economics, sociology, political science and statistics. They employ advanced data analytics to shed light on water scarcity, trade policy and affordable clean energy sources.
As the director of UW-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs, I know that young people are eager to help solve our country’s problems. This is a key reason public policy programs at universities across the U.S. are experiencing such tremendous growth. During a time when government increasingly interacts with businesses and nonprofit organizations, a public policy education prepares students for careers in all three sectors: public, private and nonprofit.
The La Follette School has long been home to one of the world’s best graduate programs in public policy. But in recent years, undergraduate students have begun to clamor for courses and programming that will serve them in a public policy career. In fact, the surge in demand has been so high we have had trouble keeping up.
In response, we launched our first undergraduate program in public policy in 2019, enrolling 50 students. Enrollment tripled in 2020, and this year, demand is even higher. Big Ten Conference peers like the universities of Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State are also seeing soaring undergraduate interest in public policy. Indiana University’s public policy major is now one of its largest. The University of Maryland had to expand its original plans for a new campus facility to accommodate the increasing number of students signing up for public policy programs and classes.
This is likely welcome news to those worried about politics.
Education can, and must, be part of the solution to our country’s current divisiveness. While young people have always been idealistic, today’s students are practical idealists. They want the knowledge, analytic abilities and communication skills that are required to advance our democracy and that will allow them to tackle problems head on.
Take, for example, COVID-19. Public policy schools are uniquely positioned to train people to address the many problems with our health care system that became evident during the pandemic. Employers are looking for professionals with a sophisticated understanding of U.S. health policy who can communicate with diverse audiences. Our new certificate in health policy — which launches this fall — is designed for the 20% of UW-Madison undergraduates who say they are planning a career in health. Courses will emphasize analytic reasoning as students learn about the many ways health policy in the United States influences health care access, financing and equity. Specialized health policy internships will provide students hands-on skills and demonstrate how theory interacts with practice.
Some skeptics might have predicted that our country’s current challenges would turn young, aspiring leaders away from future careers in the public sector and from professions that interact closely with government. But here in Wisconsin and across the nation, we are seeing something else emerge. Our undergraduate students are running toward public policy programs, and we must be ready to serve them, teaching the skills they need to become our next generation of leaders. Their talents and dedication to the public interest make me optimistic about our democracy’s future.
Susan Webb Yackee is director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs and a Collins-Bascom Professor of Public Affairs and Political Science at UW-Madison.
LUCIUS NIEMAN
HARRY J. GRANT
SOLOMON JUNEAU