Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service

What Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service does

Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics) is a non-profit academic institute housed within Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy in Washington, D.C. Founded in Fall 2015, the institute serves Georgetown students and the broader political and civic community through bipartisan programming that connects participants with senior political practitioners, policymakers, journalists, and corporate affairs leaders. It employs 43 people and is led by Executive Director Mo Elleithee, a former Democratic National Committee spokesman.

GU Politics' core offerings include the Forum event series, a bipartisan Fellows Program that brings political operatives from both parties into the classroom, experiential learning programs such as GU Votes, The Fly podcast, On The Record, GU Politics Trips, and Site Visits, career development programming, and the Battleground Poll — a recurring national survey co-commissioned with The Tarrance Group (Republican) and Lake Research Partners (Democratic). All programming is offered free of charge to participants and is funded through Georgetown University's institutional budget rather than external commercial revenue, grants, or ticket sales. The institute has cultivated sustained media partnerships with WTTG FOX 5 DC (for televised debates), CNN, MSNBC, C-SPAN, New York Magazine, and Brunswick Group, extending its reach well beyond the university campus.

Name

Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service

Legal name

Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service

Website

https://politics.georgetown.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GU Politics is a non-profit academic institute within Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy that runs bipartisan civic programming, fellowships, experiential learning, and the Battleground Poll, serving Georgetown students and the broader political community free of charge under Mo Elleithee's leadership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political Education and Civic Engagement

NAICS

Political Organizations (813940)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ), Government, Public Policy & Regulatory Congresses (THAHAJAF)

Keywords

• Political education programs
• Public policy forums
• Bipartisan polling research
• Civic engagement programs
• Fellowship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. University Institutional Funding: As an institute within Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy, GU Politics operates primarily through institutional funding from the university.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GU Politics operates a portfolio of programming offerings that connect Georgetown University students with political practitioners, journalists, and public servants. Its central offerings include the Forum (moderated conversations with political leaders), the Fellows Program (semester-long residencies for political practitioners), Experiential Programs (voter registration, political trips, site visits, student podcasts), Career Programs (internships, workshops, bootcamps), and the Battleground Poll (a bipartisan national polling initiative). All programming is offered free of charge to the Georgetown community and broader public.

Product overview

The Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics) is an academic institute at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy, founded in fall 2015. Rather than a unified software product, GU Politics operates as a portfolio of interconnected programming offerings: the Forum (its central platform hosting moderated conversations with political practitioners), the Fellows Program (bringing practitioners to campus for a semester), Experiential Programs (including GU Politics Trips, GU Votes, The Fly podcast, On The Record digital channel, and Site Visits), Career Programs (Career Corner, workshops, internship funding, and Campaign Bootcamp), and the Battleground Poll (a bipartisan polling initiative). All programming is open to the entire Georgetown community and designed to reconnect young people with politics as a vehicle for public service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GU Politics Forum The central programming platform of GU Politics hosting moderated conversations, panels, and events with top political practitioners, journalists, and public servants. Open to the entire Georgetown community and the broader public across the ideological spectrum.
• GU Politics Fellows Program A semester-long fellowship program bringing prominent political practitioners to campus, who engage with students through office hours, discussion groups, student strategy teams, and Forum events. Includes both current and past fellows.
• Experiential Programs Immersive student programming including GU Politics Trips (political travel), GU Votes (student-led voter registration), The Fly (student-run podcast), On The Record (student-run digital news channel), and Site Visits to journalism, political, and media settings.
• Career Programs Career-focused programming for students pursuing public service careers, including Career Corner, Career Workshops, the Alexis and Laurence Pelosi Endowed Internship Fund, and the Campaign Bootcamp pre-orientation program.
• Battleground Poll A nationally recognized bipartisan polling initiative conducted in partnership with The Tarrance Group (Republican) and Lake Research Partners (Democratic), providing polling analysis on voter attitudes including a Civility Poll component tracking political discourse.
• Student Advisory Boards Student-led advisory groups including the Capitol Campus Student Advisory Board, Hilltop Student Advisory Board, and Student Strategy Teams that provide students with hands-on experience in political organizing and strategy.
• Advance Team A student organization that assists with planning and logistics for GU Politics Forum events, providing hands-on experience in political event management.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Battleground Poll has found that 7 in 10 Americans believe the country to be 'on the edge' of a civil war (2019)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WTTG FOX 5 DCcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 March 2026Public partnership with WTTG FOX 5 DC to host televised debates for the D.C. Democratic Mayoral Primary on May 18, 2026. Debate broadcast live on FOX 5, Fox Local, and GU Politics digital platforms. This is the second time GU Politics and Fox 5 DC have partnered for a live mayoral primary debate, having previously teamed up for the 2022 Democratic primary election.
• Brunswick GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2025Five-event partnership series bringing together top political voices including Chris LaCivita, Jen O'Malley Dillon, former Sen. Doug Jones, Jonathan Swan, and Robert Lighthizer. Partnership concluded with the Understanding Trump's Trade Policies event featuring Ambassador Robert Lighthizer.
• The BlaxaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent-led organization at Georgetown University that co-hosted the Black in the White House event with GU Politics in February 2021.
• Georgetown University Women's and Gender Studies ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted the 'First, But Not The Last' event in honor of Women's History Month, bringing together women political leaders including former Senator Carol Moseley Braun and Congresswoman Sharice Davids.
• Georgetown Bipartisan CoalitionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored bipartisan breakfast on Election Day 2020 with Georgetown University College Democrats and Georgetown University College Republicans.
• Georgetown University College DemocratsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored bipartisan breakfast on Election Day 2020 along with Georgetown Bipartisan Coalition and Georgetown University College Republicans.
• Georgetown University College RepublicansminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored bipartisan breakfast on Election Day 2020 along with Georgetown Bipartisan Coalition and Georgetown University College Democrats.
• McCourt School of Public Policy's Massive Data Institute (MDI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint series on digital democracy topics including misinformation, social media in elections, and campaign narratives. Featured collaborative research presentations with MDI professors.
• McCourt School of Public Policy's Evidence for Justice LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted panel discussion on the federalization of D.C. law enforcement in September 2025, moderated by Evidence for Justice Lab Faculty Director Dr. Andrea M. Headley.
• Psaros Center for Financial Markets and PolicyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted panel on politics and prediction markets with GU Politics in March 2026.
• CNNminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted 'Girls on the Bus' panel discussion reflecting on the 2016 campaign with CNN political correspondents including Dana Bash, Gloria Borger, and Brianna Keilar.
• White House Correspondents' AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted 'The Press, The Presidency and Trust' symposium exploring the role of media in covering the presidency in May 2021.
• UnfinishedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership network and media platform that collaborated on post-election focus group research exploring first-time voters' attitudes toward democracy.
• Our Daily PlanetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Climate Forum 2020, hosting Democratic presidential contenders alongside MSNBC and New York Magazine.
• MSNBCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Climate Forum 2020 alongside Our Daily Planet and New York Magazine, hosting Democratic presidential candidates for climate discussions.
• New York MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Climate Forum 2020 alongside Our Daily Planet and MSNBC, hosting Democratic presidential candidates.
• Kennedy Institute of EthicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted free expression event with Mark Zuckerberg alongside Free Speech Project and Massive Data Institute.
• The Tarrance GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepublican polling firm partnership for the nationally recognized Battleground Poll, conducted jointly with Lake Research Partners (Democratic) to provide bipartisan polling analysis.
• Lake Research PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDemocratic polling firm partnership for the nationally recognized Battleground Poll, conducted jointly with The Tarrance Group (Republican) to provide bipartisan polling analysis including the Civility Poll.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Yale Jackson Institute for Global Affairs: Yale's Jackson Institute offers a comparable student-facing model at a peer Ivy-league university, blending practitioner-led courses, fellowships, and policy events aimed at future leaders in government and public service.
• Princeton James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions: Princeton's university-based program on American political thought, civic education, and constitutional studies, with student fellowships and public events — operating in the same niche of university-anchored civic engagement, though with a more ideologically distinct focus.
• Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics: Harvard's university-based politics and public service institute. Operates the most analogous model: student programs, bipartisan practitioner forums, fellowships, polling/leadership surveys, and a national media footprint — directly competing for the same student and practitioner audiences.
• LBJ School of Public Affairs: UT Austin's LBJ School offers a comparable blend of public policy education, practitioner engagement, and student career programming within a major public university — a close analogue in mission and target audience.
• University of Chicago Institute of Politics: Founded in 2013 at the University of Chicago, also focuses on bipartisan political engagement, student programs, and practitioner visits — a near-twin operating model housed at a top-tier research university.
• UVA Center for Politics (Sabato's Crystal Ball): University of Virginia's Center for Politics is a leading academic center for political analysis, polling, and student engagement in campaigns and public service — overlapping heavily with GU Politics' Battleground Poll and student programming.

Broad incumbents

• Bipartisan Policy Center: A D.C.-based nonprofit explicitly built around bipartisanship, producing policy research, hosting practitioners, and engaging students. Comparable in bipartisan positioning and D.C. base, though at a larger, more policy-production-focused scale.
• Brookings Institution: One of Washington's most prominent think tanks, with deep policy research, public events, and student engagement. Overlaps with GU Politics in policy research, polling, and convening political practitioners in D.C.
• Stanford Hoover Institution: Stanford's Hoover Institution is a larger, established policy research center that publishes widely cited polling, policy papers, and hosts high-profile practitioners. Broader in scope and more conservative-leaning than GU Politics, but competes for similar elite-practitioner access and media attention.
• The Brookings Institution's Center for Effective Public Management: Brookings' policy center focused on governance, elections, and political practice. Shares GU Politics' polling/event-driven model at larger scale and broader national audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GUPolitics
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVQxVBcnr-NTkC9adUxiZHA
• Facebookfacebook.com/gupolitics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gupolitics
• Instagraminstagram.com/gupolitics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service