Government
About Government
Our Program and Courses
F&M’s Department of Government has earned a reputation as one of the finest in the country. You may either major in government or create a joint major by combining the field with public health or public policy. You’ll study the processes by which societies make collective decisions, explore the theoretical and ethical foundations of political action, raise critical questions about the nature and use of power, and examine how societies and international systems attempt to address basic problems of liberty, equity and order.
Your learning won’t take place solely in the classroom; you’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself directly in the political environment through internships, civic activism, off-campus study, and service-learning. Through independent and collaborative learning, you’ll develop skills in language, economics, mathematics and philosophy — all while developing skills of sound research, rigorous analysis, and clear and effective argumentation.
By the time you graduate, you will:
- Effectively describe, critique and apply various theories for understanding political processes and outcomes in a domestic, comparative and international context.
- Be able to critically connect political events with course material.
- Think conceptually about politics and immerse yourself in your political environment through internships, civic activism, off-campus study and service-learning.
Curious what government classes are like? Take a look at our course catalog to see the depth and breadth of what’s available to you.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Your ideas may start in the classroom, but they won’t be contained there. The Department of Government has a long tradition of encouraging your intellectual growth through real-world experiences.
Research Opportunities
Research the power of participatory democracy. Perform legal research for real asylum-seeking
cases. Edit, fact-check, and proofread a professor’s manuscript. As you explore all
that a government major has to offer, you’ll discover areas or ideas you want to further
explore. The good news? You won’t have to wait until graduate school to launch your
investigation. At F&M, you’ll work and learn side-by-side with faculty to test your
ideas — not just read or talk about them.
Explore research at F&M
Internships
Gain experience now and a competitive advantage later. Internships not only enrich your academic journey, but also allow you to immerse yourself in the day-to-day life of government prior to entering the workforce. Government students can apply for a Sidney Wise Public Service Internship, which provides paid internships through a competitive selection process. Government majors have secured internships with:
- Members of Congress
- The White House
- The Federal Reserve
- Local and state governments
- The U.S. Department of State
- Television and print media outlets
- Policy institutes
Off-Campus Study
Travel the globe to become a well-rounded scholar and person. Studying off campus
gives you extraordinary opportunities to encounter, engage with, and understand perspectives
around the world, strengthening your ability to live and work in our global society.
At F&M, you can study conflict, peace, and transition in Northern Ireland; conduct
research on migration and borders in southern Mexico; get a firsthand look at humanitarian
action in Jordan; examine political behavior in London; and connect with thought leaders
in Washington, D.C. Off-campus study experiences aren’t simply time away from campus;
they’re meaningfully woven into your entire academic journey.
Explore off-campus study at F&M
The Franklin & Marshall Global Barometers
The Franklin & Marshall Global Barometers comprises the F&M Global Barometer of Gay
Rights (GBGR (R)), the Global Barometer of Transgender Rights (GBTR (TM)) and the
F&M Global Barometers LGBTQI+ Perception Index (GBPI). Together, these barometers
provide groundbreaking research on the state of LGBT+ human rights in 204 countries
and territories. Founded in 2010 by government professor, Dr. Susan Dicklitch-Nelson,
the barometers generate annual report cards detailing the state-and societal-level
protection or persecution of LGBT+ minorities worldwide.
Learn more
F&M Votes
Translate your civic engagement into tangible action. F&M Votes is a nonpartisan coalition
of Franklin & Marshall College students, faculty and professional staff engaged in
voter registration, education and motivation activities.
Learn more
Diplomatic Congress
As the central student government of F&M, the Diplomatic Congress unites student leaders
from all facets of the community with the common purpose of promoting a diverse and
engaging campus culture and improving all aspects of the student experience. To this
end, the Congress is tasked with coordinating student participation in the shared
governance of the college, overseeing the activities of—and facilitating collaboration
between—various student governing bodies, primary funding for, and oversight of, campus-wide
events and student activities, and advocacy on behalf of the student body on all critical
matters facing the college.
Learn more
Public Service Leadership Fellows
Leadership through service to others.
Public service, at its core, is the pursuit of the common good. Those dedicated to public service aim to strengthen communities through democratic engagement and collaboration with community members. The Public Service Leadership Fellows program is designed to help students like you develop the skills you need to innovate in the public sphere and affect positive change as future leaders.As a Public Service Leadership Fellow, you will:
- participate in four professional development workshops during the academic year. These workshops will focus on specific leadership competencies borrowed from the “Public Service Leadership Model” of the Partnership for Public Service
- attend periodic, seminar-style discussions with local public servants (these discussions will allow Fellows to learn from public servants about their career paths as well as the challenges and opportunities public servants face in doing their work)
- shadow local public servants at least twice during the academic year
- build bonds with other Fellows through social events like “public service movie nights”
- prepare, in consultation with the program’s academic director, an end-of-year self-assessment that examines the Fellow’s leadership preparedness (including personal and academic growth over the course of the year) and develops their long-term public service goals
Success Beyond F&M
The tremendous success of F&M graduates demonstrates the tangible value of an F&M
degree when compared to national outcomes. Within six months after graduation, 92%
of the Class of 2024 were either employed or furthering their education. This is higher
than the national average, which is typically in the mid-80% range.
This success can be yours, too. By majoring in government at F&M, you’ll gain a holistic
understanding of the field and indispensable skills for any post-graduate pursuit:
reading for depth, writing for impact, thinking with clarity, analyzing with precision,
debating with conviction, and listening with purpose.
Graduate School
Many of our majors choose to pursue graduate school after F&M, with a significant number enrolling in law school. Our graduates have completed their advanced degrees at the best universities, including:
- Harvard University
- Johns Hopkins University
- Yale University
- Columbia University
- Georgetown University
- New York University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Villanova University
- American University
Career Paths
Government graduates build an invaluable foundation for an eclectic range of careers. They find success in education, law, government, marketing, and more, and hold positions such as:
- Attorney
- College Professor
- Deputy Attorney General
- Foreign Service Diplomat
- Government Official
- Journalist
- Judge
- Law Clerk
- Marketing Manager
- Nonprofit Executive
- Publisher
- Research Analyst
- Social Worker
Center for Career and Professional Development
F&M’s Center for Career and Professional Development offers targeted, expert guidance
while you discover your professional calling and develop the skills you need to succeed.
Our career guidance is structured through “career communities” – dynamic groups aligned
with specific industries that transform your aspirations into clear options, meaningful
opportunities, and a network of support. Among these, our Law & Government Professions
career community offers outstanding resources for those passionate about making a
difference through public service.
Learn more
The F&M Poll in the Classroom
F&M is home to the Center for Opinion Research, which is widely recognized as one of the nation’s foremost survey research organizations. The Center for Opinion Research publishes the Franklin & Marshall College Poll, the oldest statewide public opinion poll exclusively directed and produced in Pennsylvania, and one of the top surveys in the United States.
The Center for Opinion Research actively engages F&M students, offering you the unique opportunity to contribute to and better understand the work behind an effective survey of voters’ opinions. You can assist with data analysis, reporting, survey question development, and more.
“Being able to have this opportunity to help draft questions for a statewide poll that gets national media attention—that is an incredible opportunity that a lot of students probably would not have been able to have at other schools,” said Ethan Grabowski ’26, a government and history major.
International studies is an innovative program that combines off-campus study in a
non-English-speaking location with on- and off-campus coursework. As a student of
international studies at F&M, you will develop a global perspective and immerse yourself
in the languages and cultures of non-English-speaking countries and regions. F&M’s pre-law program is offered through our Legal Professions Advising as a supplement
to your chosen major. By engaging as a pre-law student and utilizing the skills gained
from your F&M liberal arts education, you’ll be distinctly prepared to navigate the
legal profession and make a difference to the world around you. Government, economy, and society are increasingly reliant upon one another for ensuring
the well-being of a community. When you study public policy at F&M, you’ll explore
the methods and institutions through which governments, economies, and societies work
together to support, regulate, protect, and communicate with diverse communities.Student Spotlight
“F&M’s commitment to experiential learning has allowed me to explore my interests
and prepare for my future in ways I never imagined.”
“It’s one thing to learn about judicial reasoning in the classroom, but another entirely
to see it applied in real time and in real cases,” he said.
Gerber, a government and psychology double major and philosophy minor, said his F&M
journey has been a critical component in preparing him for this internship.
“Through the Department of Government’s rigorous curriculum, alongside my legal studies
program, and research experience with professors, I’ve been equipped with the skills
necessary for the legal field,” he said. “F&M’s commitment to experiential learning
through internships like this has allowed me to explore my interests and prepare for
my future in ways I never imagined.”
Read More »Student Spotlight
Exploring Lancaster's Revolutionary History the Diplomat Way
Inspired by an F&M professor and the College’s “ampersand” approach, the government
major spent his summer focused on his passion for history, serving as a research assistant
and archivist at Lancaster’s Historic Rock Ford. The estate’s grounds include the
mansion of Gen. Edward Hand, who served as adjutant general of the Continental Army
under George Washington.
“As the estate’s newest research assistant and archivist, I’m entrusted with sifting
through its Revolutionary War documents, categorizing and organizing them, and overhauling
the mansion-turned-museum’s entirely pre-digital archives,” Dockery said. “Although
I’ve flexed my research muscle in the classroom, archival work is a new labyrinth
of challenges. My diligence and conduct on the job are not only valuable for the quality
of the research, but they are also marketable skills cherished everywhere, giving
me an advantage in the post-graduation job market.”
Read More »Alumni Spotlight
“The College fosters an environment where students can broaden their perspectives
through interactions with peers from around the world and by exploring diverse academic
disciplines.”
“The College fosters an environment where students can broaden their perspectives
through interactions with peers from around the world and by exploring diverse academic
disciplines,” she said. “Additionally, the small, close-knit campus allowed me to
form meaningful relationships with my peers, professors, and faculty members, connections
that have been instrumental in my academic and personal growth.”
Read More »Related Fields of Study
International Studies
Pre-Law
Public Policy
Government at F&M in Action
October 23, 2025
Get to Know F&M's New Faculty
This fall, five new professors joined the Franklin & Marshall faculty—a vibrant community of scholars who shape the College’s distinctive academic experience. Their research interests range from parasitology to documentary film, from diplomatic networks in the Middle East to algorithmic surveillance online. Read on to get to know these new members of our campus community and hear what they had to say about the F&M experience, life in Lancaster, and more.
October 9, 2025
F&M Poll: Voters Dissatisfied with How Democracy is Working
Several of the Oct. 9 Franklin & Marshall College Poll.questions, about regulating artificial intelligence (AI), political party satisfaction and democracy, were developed by students in Government Professor Stephen Medvic’s senior seminar class.
September 29, 2025
Students Make Waves as Susquehanna River Watchdogs
Roselyn Ovalles ’26 and Grace Uwezukwe ’26 spent the summer monitoring the Susquehanna River and its many local tributaries as interns with the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association.