Politics
- Degree Type Bachelor of Arts
- Department Politics
- Academic Division The Williams School
- Offerings Major
At W&L, the study of politics is a combination of theory and practice and our proximity to D.C. is a plus. We are close enough for students to benefit from study in the nation’s capital, but far enough away to be one step removed from the day-to-day D.C. experience.
Politics
W&L offers a liberal arts approach to the study of politics. It’s interdisciplinary. Our department stresses the close reading of texts. We enable students to think seriously about the most important questions regarding being a member of a community and how we relate to other nations. Instruction is not focused on lectures, but on a question-and-answer approach between students and faculty. We offer small classes, and faculty have an open-door policy and are highly interested in their students’ success in the classroom and in the world beyond W&L.
The Department of Politics at Washington and Lee University teaches students to be informed and active citizens of a free society, able to think about politics with rigor and nuance. We offer a wide array of courses in American government, political philosophy, global politics, and statistics and methods. We encourage students to pursue their education in an interdisciplinary manner and we provide opportunities to augment their study in off-campus and experiential learning programs.
Opportunities
The study of politics at W&L includes opportunities to participate in our Mock Convention, publish in our Political Review, work with high school students in our Model UN program and engage in a host of community service projects.
Many have earned prestigious scholarships, such as Fulbright, Rhodes, Rotary and Watson fellowships. Some of our students go on to pursue graduate study and are now teachers of politics themselves. The major offers something for everyone. We support off-campus research and study, and conference participation. There are opportunities to study with professors during the academic year as well as the summer.
Washington Term
The Washington Term Program has provided more than 400 W&L students with memorable living and learning experiences in the nation's capital since 1987. Students have used the six-week Spring Term course to launch careers in every branch of government. The program includes three components: an academic course, an internship and a lecture series.
“Politics rules the world. Everything else is ordered by policy. The most important questions we face in a civil society, such as what laws should be made, are decided through politics. Politics helps humans relate to each other in an ethical fashion.”
Lucas Morel
Professor of Politics and Head of the Politics Department
Caleigh Wells ’17 Found Her Calling in Climate Reporting
The reporter and podcast host won a 2023 National Edward R. Murrow Award for her part in BURNED, which investigated failures by the U.S. Forest Service to protect California towns from potential high-risk wildfires.
A Washington Term class with a real-world focus prepared Singer for post-graduate work in the federal government.
2024 Distinguished Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Distinguished Alumni Award winners
W&L Alumna Lane Johansen ’22 Selected for Fulbright to Poland
Johansen has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English to students in Poland.
Scott’s passion for the environment carries over from the classroom to opportunities on campus and beyond.
Washington and Lee Names Four Faculty Members to Endowed Professorships
These faculty have been recognized for their outstanding teaching, scholarship and service to the university.
Leading Campus Kitchen, a student-run organization focused on addressing food insecurity, has been a rewarding experience.
Record Number of W&L Students Awarded Critical Language Scholarship
The Critical Language Scholarship Program funds a summer of overseas language and cultural immersion.
W&L’s Leslie Frederick to Present at the 2024 AACSB Assessment and AoL Conference in New York City
Frederick will serve as co-presenter for a session that demonstrates the beneficial uses of technology in the curriculum mapping process.
Lucas Morel to Deliver Endowed Professorship Lecture
Morel’s talk “Lincoln, the 1860 Election & The Future of Slavery in America” will be held March 12 in Northen Auditorium.
Smith’s W&L experience includes finding a family in his lacrosse teammates and helping other students discover their career paths as a career fellow.
Laura Murambadoro ’26 brings varied interests, a collaborative leadership style and a passion for community engagement to W&L’s campus.
Meet the Faculty
At W&L, students enjoy small classes and close relationships with professors who educate and nurture.
Lucas Morel
Department Head, John K. Boardman, Jr. Professor of Politics
- P: 540-458-8161
- E: morell@wlu.edu
Morel has taught at W&L since 1999. His teaching and research interests include American government, political theory, Abraham Lincoln, Ralph Ellison, and race and equality. He is a pre-law advisor and an accomplished writer.
Brian Alexander
Assistant Professor of Politics
Alexander teaches courses primarily in U.S. government and international relations. He has nearly 20 years of professional experience and previously worked in the
office of Senator Jack Reed (D-RI).
Seth Cantey
Associate Professor of Politics; MESA Program Head
- P: 540-458-8019
- E: canteys@wlu.edu
Cantey teaches courses on global politics, Middle Eastern politics, intelligence, terrorism and foreign policy. His commentary on current events has been picked up by various media outlets, such as USA Today and the Huffington Post.
Stuart Gray
Associate Professor of Politics
- P: 540-458-5879
- E: grays@wlu.edu
Gray teaches numerous courses on political philosophy, Gandhi and Greek/Indian political theory. His research focuses on the history of political thought, global comparative political theory and South Asian political thought.
Rebecca C. Harris
Professor of Politics
- P: 540-458-8199
- E: harrisr@wlu.edu
Harris teaches applied American Politics courses in government, public policy and environmental policy. Her interdisciplinary work focuses on genetic science and partisanship in food politics.
Robin LeBlanc
Professor of Politics
- P: 540-458-8305
- E: lepagea@wlu.edu
LeBlanc is a political anthropologist focused on the civic engagement of non-elites in rich democracies. She teaches classes on global politics, urban politics, gender and politics, and political theory.
Zoila Ponce de Leon Seijas
Assistant Professor of Politics
Ponce de Leon Seijas teaches courses on comparative politics and Latin American politics. Her research focuses on Latin American social policy as well as political representation in Latin America and Western Europe.
Mark Rush
Director of International Education and Professor of Politics
- P: 540-458-8904
- E: rushm@wlu.edu
Rush writes on U.S. politics, constitutional law, elections and democracy around the world, global affairs, and higher education. His current scholarly work includes presidential power, international politics, judicial activism, elections and democratic reform, civic education, higher education, and law and technology.
Lynn Uzzell
Visiting Assistant Professor of Politics
- P: 540-458-4740
- E: luzzell@wlu.edu
Lynn Uzzell is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Politics at Washington and Lee University. She is currently working on two book manuscripts relating to the records of the Constitutional Convention. She specializes in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the political thought of James Madison. In addition, she has research and teaching experience in political philosophy, rhetoric, and slavery and the Constitution.
