The Department sponsors a wide variety of student associations and activities. The Government Department's newsletter, The Red Tape, keeps majors and other students informed about student and faculty activities. Each year the Department sends students to two Model UN conferences. In recent years students have traveled simulations sponsored by Penn, Harvard, and McGill.
Students play an active role in selecting the best conference sites, study, and preparation.
Every other year the simulation takes place in Europe. In 1998 students traveled to Leuven, Belgium.