The TFAS Public Policy Fellowship is a year-long program designed to develop young leaders with a shared commitment to improving public policy.
Applications for the 2023-2024 Public Policy Fellowship are due by July 14, 2023.
Apply Now
The curriculum for the 2023-24 TFAS Public Policy Fellowship will focus on the question, “What is conservatism?” Fellows will explore post-war conservative thought and how thinkers like F.A. Hayek, Russell Kirk and Frank Meyer attempted to resolve the tensions between freedom and order in public policy. The program will place a particular emphasis on the post-war conservative philosophy of fusionism and its relationship to both the American Founding and contemporary policy challenges. The Fellowship runs from September 2023 to May 2024 and includes monthly evening sessions and two weekend retreats. Discussion topics include “The Constitution of Liberty,” Kirk’s “Roots of American Order,” William F. Buckley Jr. and the formation of National Review, “Conservative Constitutionalism,” and Röpke’s “Humane Economy.”
The goal of the Fellowship is to provide events that allow young professionals to foster strong connections with peers working in public policy while building an understanding of the principles of fusionism through deliberation and debate. Fellows will participate in academic discussion sessions while networking with key public policy leaders, academics and journalists.
While there are many professional development opportunities in DC, TFAS’s programming truly stands out. The intimate size of the cohort lends itself to very comfortable discussion and debate, and I was pleasantly surprised at the access we had to impressive speakers. – Clara Johsens , 2022-23 Public Policy Fellow
2023-24 FELLOWSHIP CURRICULUM
The TFAS Public Policy Fellowship combines networking, professional development and academic discussions. The 2023-24 curriculum will include:
- Monthly discussions in Washington, D.C., with public policy experts, academics and political leaders on topics fundamental to republican government.
- A fall weekend retreat in Mecosta, Michigan, at the ancestral home of Russell Kirk to explore the American political tradition discussed in “The Roots of American Order” and Kirk’s other writings.
- A spring weekend retreat in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on The Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers and their enduring relevance in debates surrounding the American republic.
I became more confident in participating in roundtable discussion on some of the most important and complicated issues facing our country today. Before the Fellowship, I had a more ‘I’ll leave it to the experts to decide’ mentality, but this program challenged me to become that expert.” – Christian Alexandrou, 2021-22 Public Policy Fellow
APPLICATION DETAILS
Please contact Ryan Wolfe, manager of continuing education programs, at rwolfe@TFAS.org with any questions. All applicants must:
- Live and work in the field of public policy in the Washington, D.C., area
- Be professionals committed to the principles of limited government
- Commit to attending the monthly evening sessions (Tuesdays 6:30-8:30 p.m.) as well as the weekend fall and spring retreats
The Fellowship is designed for young professionals with two to ten years of experience, but all applicants with a strong resume will be considered. Graduate students may apply, but preference will be given to those currently working in the field of public policy.
2023-24 SCHEDULE
Welcome Reception
Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023
6-8:30 p.m.
Opening Speaker Event
Friday, Sept. 8, 2023
4-6:00 p.m.
Fall Retreat
Nov. 2-5, 2023
Location: Russell Kirk Center, Mecosta, Michigan
Spring Retreat
Feb. 23-25, 2024
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Monthly Speaker Events
Oct. 10, 2023
Dec. 12, 2023
Jan. 9, 2024
March 12, 2024
April 9, 2024
Closing Dinner
May 14, 2024
Apply Now