Institute of Politics at University of Chicago | 3,242 followers on LinkedIn. Our mission is to inspire and cultivate the next generation of political and public service leaders | The Institute of Politics, a non-partisan, extracurricular organization at the University of Chicago, aims to inspire and cultivate the next generation of political and public service leaders. The idea for the Institute of Politics grew out of the lifelong experiences of its founding director, David Axelrod AB ’76, an accomplished political journalist, strategist and policy advisor, and his core belief that participation is essential to a vital, healthy democracy. Inspired by his own work with young people through various political campaigns and by the example of Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, Axelrod sought to establish a non-partisan program in Chicago that would provide students with opportunities to engage directly with the ideas, people and processes that shape politics today.