The more than 70 speakers represented an impressive degree of expertise and range of affiliation (former APSA fellows are noted with an asterisk). Among notable congressional staffers were Minority Staff Director Bill Hoagland (Senate Committee on the Budget), former Clerk of the House Don Anderson, Chief of Staff Richard Boykin (Rep. Davis), Press Secretary Sam Stratman (House Committee on International Relations), Foreign Policy Advisor Sharon Waxman (Sen. Kennedy), and Legislative Director Bill Koetzle* (Rep. Hastert).

The Fellows also met with Thomas E. Mann* and E.J. Dionne* of the Brookings Institution, Matthew Spalding and Mike Franc of the Heritage Foundation, and Norm Ornstein* of the American Enterprise Institute. They particularly delighted in the war stories of longtime supporters of the program Walter Beach, Vice President of HELDREF, and Joan Claybrook,* President of Public Citizen.

Journalist speakers included Rich Cohen of National Journal, Doyle McManus of The Los Angeles Times, Walter Pincus and Dan Balz of The Washington Post, Elaine Povich of Newsday, Jennifer Duffy of The Cook Political Report, and Deputy Editor Dan Parks* of Congressional Quarterly. The Fellows also toured C-SPAN and met with CEO and Chairman Brian Lamb.

Fellows received an academic perspective from Susan Webb Hammond and Karen O'Connor of American University, Paul Herrnson* of the University of Maryland, Christopher Deering* of George Washington University, Frederick Holborn of Johns Hopkins University, and Catherine Rudder* of George Mason University.

Last but not least, reflecting the increasing internationalization of the fellowship and of the discipline, David Auerswald* and Charlie Stevenson of the National War College, Eurasia Foundation President Charles Maynes,* Werner Brandt* of Preston Gates & Ellis, and Alan Romberg* of the Stimson Center shared their foreign policy views.

The seminars gave the Fellows a comprehensive understanding of parliamentary procedure and provided an overview of the domestic and foreign policy landscape of the 108^th Congress. Among the topics presented and discussed were the impact of the November elections, the war on terrorism, prescription drug reform, campaign finance reform, waning bipartisanship, presidential-congressional relations, and women in Congress, as well as the roles of various actors in shaping the legislative agenda. Several former Congressional Fellows gave frank advice about the fellowship experience in panels and tailored their comments to each group during informal lunches. The Fellows also attended a two-day seminar on Senate and House legislative procedure taught by the Government and Finance Division research staff of the Congressional Research Service. The 600 pages of accompanying handouts only hinted at the depth of the 14-hour program.

In return for generously giving their time, speakers received a green program mug. As Gary Hymel, Senior Vice President of the public affairs firm Hill & Knowlton, quipped, “I usually charge $350 an hour or a CFP mug.” Yet, most speakers commented they were pleased to add to their growing collection.

2002 APSA Congressional Fellows listen to a panel on the role of congressional staff.

As the Fellows began their search for legislative assignments in early December, they faced a relatively rare post-World War II situation of unified government with the White House, Senate, and House all under Republican control. While last year's Fellows encountered the aftermath of September 11 and the anthrax scare on the Hill, this year's Fellows had to contend with the uncertainties presented by the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, namely the realignment of committee slots and staffing in both chambers. They cast an exceptionally wide net as they “blanketed” Congress with their resumes and partook of interviews across a broad political spectrum, but emerged with a better understanding of the right fit between the office needs and their own long-term careers.

The APSA Congressional Fellowship Program would like to thank Johns Hopkins SAIS for graciously offering the use of its facilities, as well as Robert Merry, President and Publisher of Congressional Quarterly, for continuing to gift the Fellows with CQ Weekly subscriptions.

Sarah Dougherty

American Political Science Association