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Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies

American University’s Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies (CCPS) serves scholars, students, policymakers and the public by propelling actionable research, providing public education and promoting a more reasonable democratic square.

Headshot of Dakota Strode

AU PhD Student Dakota Strode Awarded 2024 Gill Family Foundation Scholarship

March 2024


CCPS is pleased to congratulate Ph.D. candidate Dakota Strode as this year’s winner of the Gill Family Foundation scholarship!

The Gill Scholarship supports dissertation work using quantitative methods in the areas of American Politics, Comparative Politics, Public Administration, or Policy Analysis at American University.

Dakota is a Ph.D. candidate at American University. His current research focuses on LGBTQ politics, political behavior, campaigns and elections, and political communication. His research has been featured in journals such as Public Opinion Quarterly and the Journal of Politics.

The Gill Family Foundation was established in 1997 in Houston, Texas, to further the Gill family’s interest in support of educational philanthropy.  As a statement of philosophy, the Gill family has noted that “Education plays the critical role in providing opportunities for growth, development, success, lasting relationships and satisfaction in life.  We are committed to giving back to the system which provided us so much opportunity for success and financial independence.

The Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies would like to thank AU Professors Ryan T. Moore and Tongtong Zhang for serving on the selection committee for the Gill Scholarship.

New Perspectives in Studies of American Governance Program awarded $150,000 grant!

August 2023


Exciting news for the New Perspectives in Studies of American Governance Program at CCPS! The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has awarded CCPS a new $150,000 grant, which will extend the NP Program for two more years. The NP program, in partnership with Purdue University, incentivizes emerging scholars to broaden the range of perspectives brought to studying American governance at the federal level. 

The Principal Investigators of this program include David Barker, Professor of Government and Director of CCPS, Bettina Poirier, Director of the Program on Legislative Negotiation and Senior Affiliate for WCL, and Valeria Sinclair- Chapman, Professor of Political Science, African American Studies, and Gender & Sexuality Studies at Purdue University. She is also Director of Purdue’s Center for Research on Diversity and Inclusion as well as its Legislative Internship Program.

Seeking submissions for Congress & the Presidency Journal Entries!

December 2023

The Congress & the Presidency Journal is actively seeking new journal entries that aim to broaden perspectives on the executive and legislative branches. We're committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in studying American governance and want your input to help shape a more inclusive future of research. 

For more information and to submit journal entries, please visit the Congress & the Presidency site here.

Senators Klobuchar and Portman

Announcement ·

U.S. Senator Klobuchar and Former U.S. Senator Portman Receive American University’s Prize for Legislative Compromise

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and former Senator Robert Portman (R-OH) have been awarded the 2023 Madison Prize for Constitutional Excellence by the American University School of Public Affairs.
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Thurber Dialogues on Democracy


The Center for Congressional Presidential Studies is proud to announce, and very grateful to receive, a generous gift from Distinguished University Emeritus Professor Jim Thurber and his wife Claudia Thurber. Their gift will fund the Center’s Dialogues on Democracy (now the Thurber Dialogues on Democracy), an ongoing series of conversations with prominent thought leaders about how to strengthen democracy in the US and abroad. In 2021, their inaugural year, the Dialogues drew nearly 500 attendees per event, featuring Senator Cory Booker, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, author/journalist Anne Applebaum, and social scientists Robert Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett. Thanks to the Thurbers’ benevolence, vision, and public-spiritedness, the Dialogues will now continue.

The inaugural Thurber Dialogue on Democracy of 2022 featured Rep. Adam Schiff for a conversation with Professor Jim Thurber on Thursday, March 31, 2022. This event, co-hosted by CCPS and KPU, was held via Zoom and the link to the recording of the event is available here.

The second Thurber Dialogue on Democracy featured Rep. Hakeem Jeffries for a conversation with Professor Liz Suhay on Tuesday, April 19th at 7:00pm. This event, co-hosted by CCPS and KPU, was held via Zoom and the recording of the event is available here.

The third and final Thurber Dialogue of Democracy took place on Thursday, May 5th at 6:00pm via Zoom and featured Harvard University political scientists Professor Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. They discussed their 2018 New York Times Best Seller, How Democracies Die, and broader themes of their work in recent events. This event was moderated by American University Professor Laura Paler.

Senators Klobuchar and Portman

Announcement ·

U.S. Senator Klobuchar and Former U.S. Senator Portman Receive American University’s Prize for Legislative Compromise

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Contact Us

(202) 885-3491
ccps@american.edu

Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies
Kerwin Hall, Room 235
4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016

Rivals for Power book cover

Research ·

Rivals for Power: Biden’s Agenda in a Dysfunctional Congress

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Robert Putnam, Shaylyn Romney Garrett, Jim Thurber

Government & Politics ·

Can Today’s Polarized America Come Together Again?

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David Barker

Government & Politics ·

SPA Professor David Barker Tracks Support for Political Protests

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EPAAI 2023 Cohort at Brussels Center

European Public Affairs & Advocacy Institute

This unique course introduces students to the art and craft of lobbying in the European Union.

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political signs

American University Magazine American

My Favorites: Rising Political Stars

Top 10 up-and-coming politicians

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Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute

Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute

The Institute features a two-week intensive course in major aspects of lobbying and political influence.

More about PAAI

CMI 2023 Cohort

Campaign Management Institute

The Campaign Management Institute has become an internationally recognized curriculum in the art and science of campaigning.

More about CMI

CCPS Video & Audio Clips

  • Setting Limits on Presidential Power Under the Trump Administration

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  • The Transition and the First 100 Days of the Trump Presidency

    Watch the video

Thurber Scholarship Endowment students

Thurber Scholarship Endowment

The James and Claudia Thurber Scholarship Endowment, established by former AU students and colleagues.

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