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MARGARET CHASE
SMITH CENTER |
Undergraduate Research Opportunities in Public Policy
'Human is by nature a civic being'
-Aristotle
The
Margaret Chase Smith Center for Public Policy
(MCSC) offers opportunities for research projects in public affairs, government
and policy. Honors students are encouraged to contact the Center to
discuss possible areas of research.
Student Opportunities
The Maine State Government Summer Internship Program is a 12 week, paid work experience. The program combines a summer position with an educational component designed to provide students with an opportunity to participate in and contribute to Maine State Government.
The Margaret Chase Smith Public Affairs Scholarship, established in 1991, provides scholarship recipients the opportunity to work with faculty advisors and/or staff of the Center in a field of research chosen by the student. Recent topics have included such areas as:
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Forest management practices
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Ballot referenda
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Sea bird restoration effort in the gulf of Maine
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Community service as a mandatory high school graduation requirement
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Prospective zoning to growth management as handled by the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC)
Independent research projects on important public policy issues in the areas of:
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Environmental policy
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Civic life, good government
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Economic development
Students are encouraged to prepare senior theses in a format
suitable for publication in a journal.
About the Center
The MCSC, established in 1989, is a nonpartisan, independent research and
public service unit of the University of Maine. The Center is dedicated to
improving the quality of public dialogue about state, regional and national
policy issues through applied policy research an d projects that seek innovative
solutions to practical problems. The MCSC specializes in the areas of
environmental policy, civic life and economic and community development.
The 2002 Code of Election Ethics
The MCSC and the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan are joint sponsor s of the Main e Code of Election Ethics, a project to encourage ethical campaign conduct and civic engagement in Maine. The purpose of the code is to encourage substantive, issueoriented campaigns that will educate the voter and improve the quality of public dialogue. It calls on the candidates to abide by the principles of honesty, fairness, respect, responsibility and compassion in their campaigns.
The
Maine Policy Review
This Journal is the only peer reviewed publication focusing on policy issues in Maine. The Review is published jointly by the MCSC and the Margaret Chase Smith Library. Past issues can be found at: http://www.umaine.edu/mcsc/mpr.htm
Governor's Economic Development Conference
The MCSC in partnership with the Muskie School of Public Service (USM) sponsor this biannual conference dedicated to improving Maine's economy. Last year's conference proceedings can be found at: http://www.umaine.edu/mcsc/GEDC.htm