Top Obama adminsitration strategist David Axelrod launches politics institute at University of Chicago
Chicago Sun-Times
January 19, 2012
President Obama’s top strategist, David Axelrod, is launching an Institute of Politics at his alma mater, the University of Chicago, to create bipartisan programs bringing big names in politics to campus and internships for students.
“If years from now I run across young people who have participated in this Institute who are now writers and staffers and yes, candidates, we’ll have done our job well,” Axelrod said in a conference call on Wednesday.
The U. of C. institute will be largely modeled on Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, housed in the Kennedy School of Government. Harvard’s IOP brings together all kinds of figures involved in politics — from political journalists to elected and appointed government officials and high level campaign operatives.
As at Harvard, Axelrod said he envisioned quarterly fellowships for political practioneers, programs and internships for U. of C. students.
Axelrod will be the founding director of the Institute starting in 2013; at present he is handling his last official campaign — Obama’s 2012 re-election bid. Axelrod joined the Harvard IOP board last year and will step down at the end of 2012.
