Best for fun class: Politics and Film
Politics and Film, an American Studies course, tackles the intersection between filmmaking and dominant American political concepts like liberty, neoliberalism and individualism.
News & Events
Mergen-Palmer Distinguished Lecture in American Studies
The annual Mergen-Palmer Lecture brings visiting scholars to GW to share their expertise with the campus community. The lecture series was founded in 2014 in honor of Bernard Mergen and Phyllis Palmer, who were beloved emeriti professors of American Studies at the university.
View Upcoming and Past Lectures
Newsletters
Bi-Weekly Newsletter
GW's Department of American Studies publishes a bi-weekly newsletter featuring fun facts, faculty/student/alumni spotlights, upcoming events and programs, kudos, opportunities, and more. Click the link below to discover our past newsletters and subscribe yourself to future editions!
Alumni Newsletter
Sent exclusively to alumni, the Department of American Studies newsletter features alumni and department updates, as well as event information. If you are one of our alumni, update your contact information with the GW Office of Alumni Relations to start receiving this and other exclusive alumni benefits.
Latest Issues: 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020, Winter 2019, Fall 2017, Winter 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015, Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2013
Department News
Luther Rice Fellow Maureen Rafter, an American Studies major, delves into the connections between Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen, exploring their journey to political unity.
A Semester’s Journey through 20th-Century American Culture
From the early Black blues women to today’s culture wars, students in GW Professor Gayle Wald’s class follow U.S history’s path.