The ins and outs of policymaking

by Allison Shirreffs

For five days in January, sixty-nine MBA students journeyed to the Washington Campus in the nation’s capitol to experience an inside view of the political process and the effects of government upon corporate strategic thinking.

The Washington Campus, a consortium of seventeen university business schools including Goizueta, is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization committed to educating business executives on the public policy process. The campus offerings included five days of sessions led by faculty facilitators and anchored by Washington insiders, offering students a unique glimpse into the world of Washington and the rooms where key decisions are made.

During the session on “Monetary Policy and the Role of the Federal Reserve System,” students were introduced to the inner workings of the Federal Reserve System, along with a visit to the Federal Reserve and Chairman Alan Greenspan’s boardroom. Several students got the chance to take a seat in Greenspan’s chair.

“This was just plain cool,” says Sara Nicholson ’04MBA, one of four students who chronicled their thoughts about their Washington Campus trip.

Nicholson signed up for the course to round out her Goizueta education. “Last semester I took a tax management course, which exposed me to some interesting tax laws and how they came about. I found the origin and rationale for some of these laws quite valuable in trying to understand our complicated tax system,” Nicholson says. “I was hoping this course would provide me with some similar insights.”

Classmate Laura Clark ’04MBA trekked to Washington for similar reasons. “The government is playing an ever increasing role in the domestic and global business community. Recent legislative measures also are having drastic impacts on corporate America,” Clark explains. “It’s imperative to gain a deeper understanding of how our government works and how it will impact our careers.”

Kembrel Jones ’00MBA, assistant dean and director of the MBA Program, gives further insight on the reason for the elective: “At Goizueta we are training future business leaders who will need to have a comprehensive understanding of the effect governmental policies can have on the organizations they will lead. An essential element of corporate competitiveness is a hands-on understanding of how federal policy is developed.” Goizueta has participated in the Washington Campus trip for seven years; however, this is the second year that the campus has designed a program specifically for Goizueta.

The Program

The week began with an overview titled, “Decision Making in Washington: The Issues, the Players and the Process.” Another session briefed the students on “U.S. Foreign Policy & Homeland Security.” During this segment, students heard from Ambassador Marc Ginsberg, deputy senior advisor to President Jimmy Carter for Middle East Policy and ambassador to Morocco for the Clinton administration. “He made me realize how little I understood about the conflict in the Middle East,” says Nicholson. “He also tied business concerns into his lecture by talking about the importance of trade agreements and their relationship to U.S. investment.”

Kunal Sahgal ’04MBA, an international student who professes to have little knowledge about how the American political system functions, found the presentation by lobbyists and their role to bridge the gap between business and government intriguing.

“They almost convinced me that lobbying is a ‘necessary evil,’” admits Sahgal. “I have always considered lobbying to be ‘evil.’ But after listening to the speaker, I consider it to be a much lesser evil.”

The talk changed Nicholson’s pre-conceived notions of lobbyists. “I always compared lobbyists to slimy salesmen; however, lobbyists are actually a vital part of our political system and very important to business,” she says.

But James English ’06EvMBA wasn’t buying it. “They were ‘spin doctors.’ They failed to answer the hard questions by the class and just gave a standard line without answering the question,” he maintains.

The session featuring two spokespersons for the current presidential campaign created even more of a stir. Kiki McClean, who represented Joe Lieberman in his quest to become the Democratic presidential nominee, and Bay Buchanan, who represented Bush, spoke about the current election. The students’ visit took place January 18–22, when Lieberman was still a candidate and the Iowa Caucus had just occurred. During the students’ stay in D.C., President Bush delivered his State of the Union Address. Those events translated into juicy topics for the panel and a lively discussion. “I could have listened to them all afternoon,” says Nicholson. “It was interesting to learn about the strategic moves each side is making.”

Clark found it equally fascinating. “It was a very Republican vs. Democrat conversation,” she notes. “It was by far the most interesting and entertaining segment of the trip. It was also a great experience to see two very educated and eloquent women representing our political system—which is very male dominated.”

The speakers left English feeling a bit jaded. “I learned how partisan Washington is,” English says. But he also found it insightful. “In understanding the personalities who take part in the process, one can understand how policy is formed.”
Throughout the week, the class received a few refresher civics and history lessons, and also heard from Rep. David Dreier, chairman of the House Rules Committee, Paul Bock, chief of staff for Senator Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.), and Rep. Mac Collins (R-Ga.).

In the core session, “The Federal Regulatory Process,” students got an overview of regulatory agencies and how they impact business. It left Clark wondering how anything gets done. “The trip confirmed my beliefs that the government is the furthest thing from efficiency,” she says.

“I never realized how many committees, agencies, and [how much] red-tape there is to get legislation passed or enact any type of governmental change.”

Saghal, who is from India, found himself drawn to the fray. “After my trip to D.C., I am really keen to work in the public sector. I never considered it as an alternative, but listening to all the speakers, I felt that the public sector can be every bit as exciting as the private sector,” he says.

How did the trip affect Sahgal’s view of American politics? “I realized that it is a complex system,” Sahgal notes. “I am convinced that American politics is played hard and that there are a bunch of smart people playing the game, which is not very different from the politics back home.”

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