Opinion Columnist, The New York Times
Discussion Group Topic: Constitutional Crisis and Revival
Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, Jamelle Bouie is a columnist for the New York Times. He covers history and politics. He also co-hosts the Unclear and Present Danger podcast on the political and military thrillers of the 1990s. Previously, Jamelle was chief political correspondent for Slate magazine. He began his career at the The American Prospect magazine and also spent time as a writer for The Daily Beast. Jamelle has also contributed essays to volumes such as “Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019” and “The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story.” In 2021, he received the Hillman Prize for Opinion & Analysis Journalism and in 2024 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Science.
Former U.S. Senator, D-California; Former President, SEIU Local 2015; Former Director of Public Policy, AirBnB
Discussion Group Topic: AI, Labor, and the Politics of the Future of Work
A trailblazing figure in American politics, Senator Butler completed the term of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein. Butler has a storied career as a trusted advisor to top elected officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, championing transformative public policies that reflect her lifelong commitment to justice and fairness for all communities. Named as “Champion of Change” by President Barack Obama, Senator Butler was president of EMILY’s List before she was named to the Senate, and served as president of SEIU Local 2015, California’s largest labor union. Senator Butler is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has served as a director on the Board of Governors of the Los Angeles branch of the Federal Reserve System, as well as a member of the University of California Board of Regents.
Former Assistant to the President and White House Director of Digital Strategy (Biden Administration); Former Deputy Campaign Manager, Harris for President
Discussion Group Topic: The Politics of Attention: Media, Campaigns, and Our Broken Information Environment
Rob Flaherty is a political strategist and former Deputy Campaign Manager for President Joe Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign. He previously served as Assistant to the President and Director of Digital Strategy at the White House, overseeing the administration’s digital communications team. Flaherty has also worked as Digital Director for Beto O’Rourke’s presidential campaign, Creative Director at Priorities USA, and Deputy Director of Digital Communications for Hillary for America. A 2013 graduate of Ithaca College, he began his career working on local campaigns in New York.
Former Administrator, USAID (Trump Administration); Former U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania; Former Member of Congress, R-Wisconsin
Discussion Group Topic: A Crossroads Moment for American “Soft Power”
Ambassador Mark Green (ret.) is an innovative thinker on foreign policy in general and global development in particular. He is President Emeritus of The Wilson Center, an active Board Member of the International Conservation Caucus Foundation, and the author of both the Stubborn Things and Moments Along the Way blogs. Green served as Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) from 2017 to 2020. Before that he served as President of the International Republican Institute, one of the world’s leading democracy promotion organizations. Green served as the U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania from mid-2007 to early 2009, as well as four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Wisconsin’s 8th District. He has also served as President of the Initiative for Global Development and Senior Director at the US Global Leadership Coalition.
Co-founder & Primary Reporter, SCOTUSblog
Discussion Group Topic: The Supreme Court in the Age of Trump
Amy Howe is the co-founder of SCOTUSblog, a website devoted to comprehensive and nonpartisan coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court since 2002. Since 2016, she has served as the primary reporter for the blog, covering everything from retirements and confirmation hearings to oral arguments and opinions. She tries to make the Supreme Court’s work accessible to lawyers and nonlawyers alike. Amy was part of the SCOTUSblog team that won a Peabody Award in 2013 — the first blog to do so — as well as a National Press Club Journalism Award for Breaking News. She has appeared on the BBC, CNN, C-Span, NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, and NPR. Since the spring of 2025, she has served as the Supreme Court analyst for the PBS NewsHour.
Republican strategist; Political Commentator, CNN; Former Special Assistant to the President (George W. Bush Administration)
Discussion Group Topic: American Institutions: A Crisis or an Opportunity?
Scott Jennings is Senior Political Contributor for CNN and is one of the nation’s most well-known conservative commentators. He appears daily on the network’s various shows, including the 10pm debating show “Newsnight with Abby Phillip,” where clips of his 4-on-1 exchanges go viral on a weekly basis. Scott is the Founding Partner of RunSwitch Public Relations in Louisville, KY, a full-service communications firm handling corporate and political clients. He has been a longtime political confidante of U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell and served as Special Assistant to President George W. Bush after working on both of Bush 43’s successful campaigns. Scott hosts a daily national radio show on the Salem Radio Network called ‘The Scott Jennings Show.’ He is also the author of a forthcoming book titled, “A Revolution of Common Sense: How Donald Trump Stormed Washington and Fought for Western Civilization.”
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The GU Politics Fellows offer students a rare peek behind the curtain into the way politics and public service actually work. Students will be challenged, informed and inspired through weekly discussion groups, office hours and small group conversations. Opportunities to engage are open to all Georgetown students.
Want to get involved with our Fellows?
- Attend their discussion groups | For eight weeks, our Fellows host weekly 90-minute, off-the-record discussions with members of the Georgetown community. You’ll talk about big ideas and the specific details needed to put them into practice… and be shocked by the special guests and experts they’ll bring. Discussion groups begin the week of September 8. Read their discussion group topics here.
- Visit them in office hours | Imagine being mentored by politicos at the top of their field. Hang out with our Fellows one-on-one to chat about news of the day and how to get your start in public service or answers to your burning questions about behind-the-scenes moments in politics you can’t hear anywhere else. This opportunity is open to all Georgetown students and faculty. Office hours begin the week of September 8.
- Join their Student Strategy Teams | Collaborate closely with one of the Fellows by joining their team of five students who craft discussion group topics, help with research and campus outreach, and partner with the Fellow to brainstorm fresh ideas to make politics work better. Learn more and apply.
Mark your calendar for our Meet the Fellows Open House — the first chance to meet these leaders in person, learn more about their backgrounds and hear what they have planned for the semester. The Fellows open house will be held on Thursday, September 4, 2025, from 4:00 – 5:30 pm in the Healey Family Student Center Social Room.
