The Integrated Policy Exercise provides students with a week long opportunity to work intensively on a policy issue. All students participate as part of a team representing different constituencies with an interest in the problem being studied. Working in groups of 7 to 10, students are assigned a role such as lobbying firm or political operative, or economic group. Groups prepare a political strategy to achieve their clients' objectives and to develop policy positions for their group. The week culminates in a negotiation process among all the groups involved. Topics vary each year.
This year's topic is The State of the Union. The State of the Union (SOTU) is an annual message the President of the United States delivers to Congress on the country’s state of affairs. The speech's development involves a wholesale engagement of the entire American political apparatus. This year's IPE will simulate the development and delivery of a SOTU.
The IPE will take place on Thursday, January 19, 2023 from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Friday, January 20 from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, and Saturday, January 21 from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. After listening to your feedback, we decided to move the IPE from its previous time of the weekend after Winter Break to the third week of January. We feel this gives students more time to prepare and properly reintegrate back into the school environment. All other Ford School classes and activities will be canceled during these times. All students are expected to participate in person during the entire event. Please make any necessary arrangements ASAP. The teaching team will consider requests for exceptions in writing (via email to [email protected]) and prior to the absence only.
