Why Do We Have Bureaucracies? 

That question opened a new semester in a graduate seminar on public administration.  In answering the question, the twelve of us were to introduce ourselves, tell what we were doing, why we were taking that particular seminar, and so forth.  The instructor was the son of a Baptist preacher and the grandson of a Baptist missionary, and the class was required for my MA at Oklahoma State University.

“Well, of course there are no absolutes…” opined a young lady trying to sound erudite but not quite reaching to that level.  I wanted to insert, “are you absolutely certain that there are no absolutes?  After all, your statement is an absolute,” but I held my peace until my turn came.

 What is it like to be an intern in Washington, DC?

Wow!  Washington, DC?  Internship?  National Defense University?  You name the nervous emotion - anticipation, anxiety, fear – and I felt it.  But, when I first learned of the Strategic Policies Institute (SPI) and its internship program, I knew that I had go for it.  Of course, at that time, my projected reality was quite glamorous.  In my mind, I was beginning my trek to the White House.  I just knew that I was going to be recognized by the Republican leadership inside the Beltway and tagged as the next “up-and-comer” in the party.