A Look Inside Congress

After taking the Government Department’s Sol M. Linowitz ’35 Seminar this spring with former Congressman Matthew Cartwright ’83, I can confidently respond “yes” to all of the questions above.

The Linowitz Seminar was established in 1988 to honor the accomplished diplomat, lawyer, and businessman. It recognizes Linowitz’s expertise in domestic and international affairs by bringing to Hamilton instructors who have occupied senior positions in government or non-government organizations. Each semester, 12 government and world politics concentrators are selected to enroll.

This spring, I had the opportunity to participate in the seminar with Cartwright, who served as the representative for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District from 2013 to 2025. Although I had met Rep. Cartwright in DC when I participated with the Hamilton in Washington program the year before, our three-hour meetings every Monday morning gave me a unique perspective on the skills necessary to navigate the political landscape and be successful in the House of Representatives. 

Cartwright emphasized the importance of interpersonal relationships on the campaign trail and while in office. Although I can easily read about the vicious attacks candidates make — and endure — on the campaign trail, hearing Cartwright’s experience with fictitious claims about his stance on funding for local police forced me to recognize the dangers of misinformation. In this instance, Cartwright successfully combated the accusations by airing a television ad that featured an endorsement from the local police chief, with whom the congressman had formed a personal relationship. 

In the House, Cartwright routinely formed friendships with Republicans to pass bipartisan legislation. One example is the work he did with Steve Russell, former representative from Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District. Cartwright and Russell had attended flight school together, and once they connected on an interest rather than an issue, they were able to craft legislation on aviation regulation that benefited both parties. Cartwright passed his legacy of bipartisanship connections along to us, as we had the opportunity to chat with Russell via Zoom. 

Throughout the semester, Cartwright ensured that we got a complete picture of the workings of a congressional office. Each week, in addition to his lecture, a guest speaker joined us in person or via Zoom. We heard from Rep. Cartwright’s former legislative director, chief of staff, press secretary, campaign field director, and campaign media director. As a graduating senior, learning about the different career paths available in a congressional office helped me think about how I might leverage my skill set in Congress. 

Outside the classroom, Cartwright kept his office door open to us. While members of Congress make important decisions, they are also people; Cartwright often told us stories about his time on College Hill and the opportunities we needed to take advantage of. He advised us to form close relationships with our professors because they want to see us succeed. 

“That’s one thing I love about Hamilton; the people who teach here are really smart,” he said. “The professors come here because they know they will be able to really help the students here because it’s a small school. When I was here, I didn’t take enough advantage of that. If you don’t go talk to the professors here, you’re missing out.”