Core Curriculum Statistics for Data Analysis Sequence Principles of Microeconomics and Public Policy Sequence Analytical Politics Sequence Core Project Each year in the spring, first-year MPP students can complete the Harris Core Project: a team-based policy memo that applies Core training to a real-world policy challenge identified by a decision-maker.Teams draw on statistical analysis, economic reasoning, and political strategy to craft practical recommendations for public sector clients, including elected officials, government agencies, and nonprofit leaders.The Harris Core Project gives students the chance to practice framing a problem, selecting appropriate research methods, synthesizing evidence, and communicating effectively for an external audience.What You’ll LearnCourseHarris Core Project CourseIn this six-week, non-credit course offered in the spring, students learn how to translate Core concepts from statistics, microeconomics, and analytical politics into clear, decision-ready policy memos.The course focuses on structuring arguments, explaining quantitative findings without oversimplifying them, and writing with a specific policy audience in mind. Students also practice collaboration, revision, and concise oral briefing—skills essential for professional policy work.SupportHarris Writing WorkshopThe Core Project is supported by a broader set of writing resources offered through the Harris Writing Workshop. Students may attend in-person workshops that address common challenges such as framing a policy problem, integrating evidence, and revising for clarity and concision.In addition, all Harris students can work with writing specialists. Together, these resources help students use their Core training to produce policy writing that is clear, credible, and appropriate for real-world audiences.David ChrisingerLearning from Instructors Who Use These ToolsDavid Chrisinger, Executive Director, Harris Writing WorkshopDavid Chrisinger is the Executive Director of the Harris Writing Workshop and the lead instructor for the Harris Core Project. His work focuses on helping students translate rigorous analysis into writing and briefings that inform decision-making beyond the classroom.Before joining Harris, Chrisinger worked as a Senior Communications Specialist at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, where he supported research teams communicating research and evaluation findings to Congress. At Harris, he teaches courses in AI-assisted writing for public policy professionals and leads programs that help students develop clarity, audience awareness, and professional judgment in policy communication.“Analysis doesn’t speak for itself,” Chrisinger says. “If you can’t explain why your findings matter, to whom, and what they should do with them, then the work isn’t finished.” Marvin Slaughter, MPP'21Putting Analysis to WorkMarvin Slaughter, MPP'21Marvin Slaughter came to Harris with a deep commitment to addressing racial and economic inequality, and he left with a clearer framework for translating values into policy strategy. While at Harris, Slaughter wrote an article for the Chicago Policy Review, applying economic reasoning to examine the costs and design of federal reparations proposals. The piece drew on empirical research and policy analysis rather than rhetoric, and it reached a wide audience within academic and policy circles.Today, Slaughter serves as a Senior Legislative Affairs and Research Portfolio Manager at the Inclusive Economy Lab, where he works with public agencies and nonprofit partners to generate evidence on issues such as college access, social belonging, and degree completion. His work focuses on helping institutions understand what the data show, where uncertainty remains, and what policy options are realistically available.Slaughter also chairs Illinois’s African Descent–Citizens Reparations Committee, where his role centers on translating research and analysis into options lawmakers can assess. “The Core helped me understand that evidence doesn’t speak for itself,” he says. “You have to be able to explain tradeoffs clearly and meet decision-makers where they are.”