University of Chicago, Institute of Politics

The Institute of Politics is a nonpartisan political institute associated with the University of Chicago and the Harris School of Public Policy designed to inspire students to pursue careers in politics and public service. This X-Grant supports the Institute of Politics, in partnership with the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University, to conduct a two-day conference for journalists to prepare them for the complexity of covering the 2024 U.S. Presidential election. The conference will focus on a mix of traditional and new tools to cover the race, including election law, understanding poll quality, how to use qualitative analysis, grappling with the primary calendar, and expected themes of the election. It will also explore the mistrust consumers have of news organizations and the importance of local coverage, data, and voter voices.

The University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics provides a public forum in which prominent Republicans and Democrats come together to discuss the theory and practice of politics and public policy. It does this through a Speaker Series, Internships and Student Civic Engagement Programs, and the Fellows Program, which brings political leaders and influential practitioners from across the political spectrum together on the University of Chicago campus each year. The Institute of Politics and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University are working together to hold a training institute for professional reporters on covering the 2016 elections. They will invite them to the University of Chicago campus for an intensive two-day workshop on May 8-9, 2015. The first day focuses on briefings from campaign experts on the 2016 Presidential race and the tools and technologies each campaign will be using. The second day features smaller, hands-on trainings in data journalism, campaign finance disclosure reports, and other tools.

The University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics (IOP) was created by prominent political consultant and presidential advisor David Axelrod to build on the citizen and student enthusiasm for politics of the Obama presidential campaigns. The Institute of Politics, after just one year, has become an intellectual environment where prominent Republicans and Democrats engage and energize students and citizens alike. The IOP Fellows Program brings more than 20 top influential thinkers and practitioners from across the political spectrum together on the University of Chicago campus to share their experiences with one another, the University of Chicago community, and the people of Chicago.