Suchergebnisse

A major public university is located in or very near over half of
American state capitals, and political science departments at these
universities advertise the special advantages that such a location
brings to their students. For example, the political science
department of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln advertises its
internship programs: "As Lincoln is the seat of state government,
students have an opportunity to observe government in action.
Political Science has a vibrant internship program where students
may intern with the state legislature, the governor's office, and
other agencies of state government. Internships are also available
with local interest groups, non-profit agencies, corporations, and
political parties" (University of Nebraska-Lincoln 2005). Such opportunities for students are
meaningful, however, only if they have some significant effect on
student learning or engagement. It is reasonable that colleges and
universities would emphasize the advantages that their location in a
state capital might offer; colleges use both their campus and their
local community to appeal to students (Choy and Ottinger 1998). Yet there is scant research to
confirm any of the effects that colleges advertise. An earlier version of this article was presented
at the 2005 meeting of the American Political Science
Association. The authors thank Lindsey Lupo, Charles Turner, and
the anonymous reviewers for their comments and
suggestions.