University of Richmond

Center for Government and Policy

The Center for Government and Policy at the University of Richmond seeks to encourage greater discourse on public affairs through well-designed research projects and broad discussion of contemporary governing and public policy issues.

Purpose

All too often, the scholarly research done by academics is set apart from the knowledge and information used by public officials and interested groups in the conduct of public affairs and development of public policy. The Center for Government and Policy was launched to bring together these two worlds. By examining contemporary issues of government and public policy through in depth research and discussion, the Center provides a forum through which academics and practitioners can learn from each other about important issues and their consequences.

Research Projects

The Center’s primary focus is on developing faculty-student collaborative research projects that are relevant to contemporary debates about public policy and governance. Each project is directed by a faculty member and can extend over several years or more, so that students can contribute to an ongoing effort to collect data on major topics and use these data to develop questions, test hypotheses and write papers to inform scholars and engage the greater Richmond community.

Several projects have been defined by faculty in the Department of Political Science. The numbers of topics will continue to expand over time and, perhaps, include projects led by faculty in other departments, the T.C. Williams School of Law or the Jepson School of Leadership Studies.

Education Policy Project (Director: Dr. Jennifer Erkulwater)

This project examines the relationship between education policy and the American dream of equal opportunity and national progress.  It traces the development of education policy over time in order to understand the political conditions that led to the expansion of K-12 public education and access to higher education in the late 19th century through the 20th century.  The project also considers how current national debates over poverty and inequality have shaped education policy, and how our policy has in turn influenced the socioeconomic mobility of various social groups, and Americans’ attitudes toward the role that government plays in equalizing income disparities. 

Virginia Governance Project (Co-directors: Dr. John Whelan and Dr. Daniel J. Palazzolo)

As the home of the state’s capital, Richmond offers a window into a variety of aspects of state government. This broad project includes a study of how the General Assembly operates, including questions of institutional development, legislative leadership, power sharing and policymaking and appointment processes. We are also interested in the role of the governor as a policy leader, agenda setting and the role of lobbyists in the policy process.

Election Reform Project (Director: Dr. Daniel Palazzolo)

For decades, scholars and practitioners have debated the policy issues related to redistricting, voting rights and campaign finance. Since the 2000 presidential election, the focus has turned toward issues related to the administration of elections: vote casting, vote counting, voter education, voter registration, voting equipment and poll workers.

Programs

The Center has hosted and will continue to host several programs that facilitate outreach and dialogue:

  • An annual symposium of student research
  • An annual conference to explore a major governing or policy issue that brings together academics and practitioners (examples might include: education reform, gubernatorial leadership, judicial appointments, lobbying, political ethics, and redistricting). Such conferences will engage public servants, alumni, and faculty and students from several schools at the University or from other colleges and universities.
  • Workshops for students featuring faculty research
  • Visiting scholars, either academics or practitioners, who can contribute to the Center’s projects and programs

Outcomes

Research outcomes will be presented in various outlets, in addition to annual conferences hosted by the Center:

Resource and Administrative Implications

A member of the political science faculty will serve as a part-time director of the Center and a student will serve as a part-time administrative assistant. The director organizes projects, generates resources and works with administrators, faculty and alumni to advance the Center’s goals. Contingent upon University plans, the Center will ultimately have a board of directors, consisting of distinguished alumni and public officials who can provide advice and assist the director with generating resources to support the Center’s activities.

Founding Members

The Center for Government and Politics was founded by six students and political science professor Dan Palazzolo, who serves as the Center's director.