<p>If I want to write government policy, what should I do in terms of education?</p>
<p>Will this be enough? Are these the right degrees?
BA - Econ
MPP</p>
<p>They could be. You’ll want really good writing skills. If you don’t have them, they’re hard to acquire but worth the trouble. Econ can offer you enough flexibility to take a lot of writing courses. You’ll want to take all the technical writing you can. MPP is definitely a possibility, but it’s too early to talk about that. Econ demands some math skills, so you also have to be strong there. Unlike writing, I don’t know if you can improve your math that radically by doing a lot of math. It’s not my field and I never got beyond college calc.</p>
<p>Bumptenchar</p>
<p>I would say some quantitative courses, to boost your analytical skills; basic computer science, for research; and then try to secure some good internships or independent study projects. The best skill is unique mastery of a subject: become an expert “policy wonk.” Your major won’t necessarily matter; you should decide what interests you: environment, technology, health care, demographics, financial markets, et al. Then, learn how to collect, analyze, and present data effectively. My son is very interested in the sort of subjects you are, with an eye toward law school. Have you already been involved in activities like JSA, Debate, Model UN, Mock Trial, et al? They will provide you with a foundation. </p>
<p>Well, I work in policy (on the advocacy side, not the government side) and people from all backgrounds end up here. @woogzmama is right – it’s not about what you majored in, it’s about what you know. Nobody will hire you to write policy based on your education; they’ll hire you if they know you’re a recognized expert in the field.</p>
<p>My advice is to study what interests you. If that’s economics, then major in that. Is economic policy where you want to work, and if so why is that? Do you want to effect change in how we regulate the financial industry? Are you interested in the arguments behind US economic policy? Figure out what you’re really interested in and major in that, because if you’re going to be working in policy you’ll be living and breathing this subject, so you’d better really like it a lot.</p>
<p>bump</p>
<p>I really have two interests – covering (journalism) policy and doing policy research/writing. Any more suggestions?</p>
<p>Go do some informational interviews now with a variety of policy journalists and policy writers. </p>