Students at UW-Madison have come together to organize a chapter of one of the few non-partisan student think tanks in the country called the Roosevelt Institution.
The Roosevelt Institution is the nation's first student think tank and is currently active at more than 120 schools across the country and abroad.
It was developed after the 2004 presidential election for college students who felt that they deserved a more prestigious voice in national politics.
According to the founder of the Wisconsin chapter, UW-Madison sophomore Max Bruner, the Roosevelt Institution looks to implement a progressive platform that bridges the gap between students and politicians in Wisconsin.
We want to create a group that holds a whole spectrum of opinions, so that our ideas are ultimately well thought out and debated, and not far left or far right, but instead realistically in the middle of the road,\ Bruner said.
UW-Madison sophomore and member Jessica Pung said the Roosevelt Institution is ideologically unlike any other political student organization on campus.
""I think the Roosevelt Institution is trying to think logically about political issues in order to achieve the best outcome possible in the interest in the greater good, rather than the interest of a specific political label,"" Pung said.
Robbie Lincoln, a member and UW-Madison sophomore, sees the Institution eventually playing a very important and unique role in the state of Wisconsin.
""We really want to focus on the issues that exist here in Wisconsin,"" Lincoln said. ""A lot of organizations focus only on national issues, but we are in such a good place here at the University of Wisconsin to influence policy in our state, with our capitol only a block away and the political access that exists in the city.""
Bruner said he's spent a lot of time contacting state senators and policy makers in the state of Wisconsin.
""I want to form relationships with state legislators that can see our vision, and help us to gain support and eventually fulfill a mentoring position,"" Bruner said.
The group's launch event is April 22 at 2 p.m. in the dining room of The Lowell Center, 610 Langdon St., and various local, state and federal policy makers have been invited.
""I'm working on hopefully guaranteeing a few important politicians from Wisconsin, and I am also working on having some speakers,"" Bruner said. ""We want to educate people on what the Roosevelt Institution is all about.""
Bruner said the Roosevelt Institution is looking for students who understand a non-partisan relationship.
""We're not here to protest what exists, but add to what exists and make it better while hopefully forming a relationship with state policy makers and ultimately make some sort of impact,"" Bruner said.
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