Hinckley Institute of Politics
The Hinckley Institute of Politics is a nonpartisan institute located on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City, Utah. Its purpose is "to engage students in transformative experiences and provide political thought leadership"[1] through involving students in practical politics and in governmental, civic and political processes.
Founder(s)
Robert H. Hinckley
1965
To engage students in transformative experiences and provide political thought leadership
Involving students in practical politics and in governmental, civic and political processes
Jason Perry
Known for its internship program which has sent thousands of students to local, national, and global internship opportunities, the Hinckley Institute also provides educational programs for students, public school teachers and the general public.
History[edit]
The Hinckley Institute was founded by Robert H. Hinckley in 1965 as a way to engage students in government and "encourage the youngest and best minds to enter into politics." Since that time, the Hinckley Institute has helped to provide more than 7,000 students with internships opportunities. Students have been placed with various organizations, such as public offices, elected officials, non-government organizations, for-profit corporations, political campaigns, and non-profits.
In addition to internships, the Hinckley Institute offers publicly available political forums, scholarships, classes, excursions to Washington, D.C., and a campaign management minor.[2]
Since its founding in 1965, the Hinckley Institute has been led by five directors.[3] Jason Perry is the director of the institute, as of 2016, and Morgan Lyon Cotti is the associate director.[4]
The Hinckley Institute facilitates political forums during the academic school year, offering students the opportunity to hear from leading local, national, and global experts and opinion leaders, on topics ranging from local and municipal government and elections, resource management, environmental sustainment, housing, employment and education policies, national and international issues such as human rights, health care, constitutional law, the rights of women and minorities, the effects of the media, international relations and policies pertaining to the Middle East, Europe, South America and Asia, and the effects that U.S. national policy has on international events, terrorism and the economy.[14]
The Hinckley Institute has hosted such notable guests as:[15]
Scholarships[edit]
The Hinckley Institute offers several scholarships to University of Utah students who have exhibited outstanding academic performance, civic engagement and service to their local community.[16] Scholarships are available as general academic scholarships and internship-specific scholarships. Loans are also available to students through the Hinckley Institute of Politics.[17]
Courses[edit]
As part of the Hinckley Institute's mission to engage students in practical politics, the Hinckley Institute offers several courses on campaign management, the U.S. presidency and money’s influence in government. Students may receive credit for attending political forums, in addition to increasing their awareness of current local, national, and global events.[18]
Capital Encounter[edit]
Each semester, University of Utah students are provided with the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C., with one of the University of Utah's political science professors and the Hinckley Institute's program director over national internships.[19] During Capital Encounter, students experience DC and the politics that surround it by visiting places and offices like Washington's national monuments and memorials, meeting with members of the Utah delegation, touring the U.S. Supreme Court, and visiting the headquarters of the CIA. In this one week excursion, students study the functions and inter-workings of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government, and are given the opportunity to meet with members of the president's cabinet and discuss current events with top government officials.[20]