Mac Mahoney '26 has always been at the center of vibrant political dialogue. "I grew up in a very politically diverse household. It's rare that my family finds a consensus on anything. It taught me to appreciate respectful and productive conversations."
Dartmouth's location initially drew Mac to the College, which he sees as a key hub for political engagement. New Hampshire has traditionally held the first-in-the-nation primary election, meaning that presidential candidates often visit Dartmouth's campus on the campaign trail. "Because students are generally here for four years, everyone is guaranteed to experience at least one presidential cycle during their time in Hanover," he points out.
Mac credits the course Markets and Their Critics with his decision to modify his government major with philosophy and economics. "The course exposed me to a brand new world of political economies. I learned about the morality of economic systems such as capitalism, communism, and socialism." The course instructor, Henry Clark, is also the director of Dartmouth's Political Economy Project (PEP), an interdisciplinary program that explores the relationship between politics, economies, and ethics. At Clark's encouragement, Mac applied for and won a research grant from the PEP to study the impact of artificial intelligence on the labor market.
Thanks to Dartmouth's flexible academic calendar, Mac spent his sophomore spring on an off-campus study program in Washington, D.C., where he took classes with a Dartmouth professor, interned at a strategic communications firm, and met chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper '91 at the CNN headquarters. He's also served as an intern for the Dartmouth Dialogue Project, a campuswide initiative that provides training to students, faculty, and staff in the development of essential collaborative dialogue skills.
Mac is now president of the Dartmouth Political Union, a nonpartisan student organization that fosters discourse on political topics. Founded in 2018, the DPU has hosted an array of speakers ranging from former Wyoming representative Liz Cheney to Black Panther Bobby Seale. "We want students to come to our events regardless of their political views," Mac emphasizes. "It's important to engage in conversations with people who think differently than you. My hope is to create a campus culture where people aren't afraid to express their opinions."
Photo by Don Hamerman, pictured in the lobby of Baker-Berry Library
