The Public Purpose Journal

The Public Purpose is an organization comprised of graduate students at American University’s School of Public Affairs (SPA) that provides insightful perspectives on public issues, politics, government, and public policy. The Public Purpose was founded in 2002 at American University in Washington, D.C. We strive to produce relevant, thoughtful, and accessible insight on issues in public affairs, politics, and public policy through two published mediums: The Public Purpose Journal, a peer-reviewed academic journal, and The Public Purpose Online Edition, featuring analysis, research, and commentary by SPA graduate students. We aim to make political and policy analysis accessible to anyone that might be interested. By boiling down complex issues to their fundamental levels, we demonstrate to our readers why they should engage in public affairs. As graduate students and professionals of public administration; public policy; political science; government; and justice, law, and criminology, we analyze complex issues and translate them for our readers into both print and online forms.