ABSTRACT
The founding of the American Political Science Association (APSA) in 1903 marked the evolution of political science as a distinct academic discipline in colleges and universities. Students would be encouraged to learn about how government works and how to work in government. For the student, direct experience was recommended to supplement formal instruction in government and politics. The benefit for government differed depending on the professional expertise of the participant. The APSA’s official Committee on Policy, led by Thomas Reed, issued reports during the 1930s describing successful conferences all over the country between political scientists and state/local political officials. These conferences were designed to inform faculty about how government works and to enable political scientists and public officials to work together on public policy issues and processes. In 1947, American University established the Washington Semester, the first formal cooperative undergraduate experiential education program for national government based in the capital city.
