The School of Public Affairs at American University has a storied legacy that informs our values and approach.
In 1934, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt began implementing New Deal programs that sought to increase “practical contacts between the collegiate and educational world, and the operations of government.” He believed that the collaboration of academia and public service would result in better decision-making, not only for Depression-era American, but also for future generations to come. From FDR’s vision, American University’s School of Public Affairs was born.
Over the last 80+ years, SPA has cultivated a culture of excellence. Our personalized teaching and experiential education transform the student experience. We empower those who seek knowledge to conduct and produce research. And we promote engagement to build a bridge between academic thought and policy planning - inspiring change in the world.
Today, with 1,800 current students and 23,000+ alumni, SPA continues to tackle complex issues with thoughtful research that educates, informs, and promotes change across a multitude of fields.
What Trump knew about alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election remains an open question despite the nearly two-year investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
As the “Queen” of gospel music, Mahalia Jackson sang two songs during the historic March on Washington. But her most famous line may have been a suggestion to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
While Donald Trump has used his social media platform to criticize all of his opponents, the former president has made his most controversial attacks against Black female prosecutors.
Katherine Engel, American University School of Public Affairs and Taryn Morrissey, American University School of Public Affairs
Republicans are pressing for policy changes based on a misconception that hardly anyone who gets help buying groceries with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits is employed.
A newly approved trade deal could be an opportunity to return Northern Ireland’s political attention to pressing issues of health care, housing, energy costs and inflation.
Voter demographics and policy priorities are two recurrent, big issues on Election Day – but shifts in election administration and voting laws are new challenges influencing the midterms.
Jan Leighley, American University School of Public Affairs
Americans’ political affiliations and views on key issues vary a lot by age. When fewer young people vote, winning candidates and policies may not reflect their views.
Starting college after finishing high school is an exciting phase of a student’s life. But students need to prepare for the new challenges college brings.
Kari Dalane, American University School of Public Affairs
In middle school classes, students from lower-income families tended to be concentrated in just a few classrooms, new research from North Carolina has found.
President Joe Biden’s nominee for the US Supreme Court withstood four days of hearings and was confirmed to become the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court.
The dire conditions that brought waves of Cubans to the US in the 1980s and 1990s are again escalating on the communist island, provoked by Trump-era sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Donald Trump’s ticket to the White House was a coarse version of populism. Will his successors in the GOP be different – or simply present a more polished version of his antagonistic rhetoric?