Professor Guides Future Political Players

Professor John Sides
Professor John Sides

Ask a group of young political science alumni who their favorite professor at GW was, and you’ll most likely hear Professor John Sides’ name.

Since 2005, Professor Sides has taught thousands of GW students through courses such as Media and Politics, Campaigns and Elections and Public Opinion, among others.

Like many GW professors, Professor Sides divides his time between teaching and contributing to DC politics. His work is often featured in national publications, including The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, and The New York Times.

Although Sides often “writes” the news himself, one of his favorite “Only at GW” moments came when his kids were babies and he had little time every morning to read the newspaper.  Instead, he got the headlines from his morning class.

“If you put 10 GW students in a room, they will rarely let you miss a headline,” he says.

Professor Sides has the opportunity to educate many of GW’s budding politicians— his students often score internships on Capitol Hill—while others may become lawmakers one day.

In order to leverage their political science degrees to start their careers, Professor Sides urges students and alumni to keep track of trends in the field.

“Figure out what the growth areas in politics are,” says Sides.  “Right now, data and analytics are becoming central — making the tools of political science even more relevant.”

As the Department of Political Science celebrates 100 years at GW, Professor Sides thinks the next 100 years will be even better, continuing a trajectory of excellence.

Sides believes this excellence comes from great scholars and faculty, whose exciting and important work helps shape the political science world.

“The unknowable question is how the next 100 years will change the scientific study of politics itself,” he says.

Professor Sides and the GW Department of Political Science are sure to be leaders in those studies in years to come!

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