The Washington internship program, which has been offered by Flinders since 1999, is described by the Head of American Studies at Flinders Professor Don DeBats as "the best possible education in American public affairs that you can get."
Five of the students, Lilia Bednarek, Andrew Butler, Anna MacFarlane, Sarah Steele and Connor Stubbs were placed in the Washington offices of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, while Sarah John got a taste of high-level news media through her attachment to the office of The National Journal and The Almanac of American Politics.
This year, the interns found that the flow of information was not all one way: it was a sign of the times that the policy-makers and members of the armed services with whom they rubbed shoulders were often keen to know about Australian attitudes on Iraq.
The students said that while opinions in the Capitol Hill offices about the Iraq war varied considerably according to party and constituency, all politicians were intent on supporting the American troops stationed there.
This included Representative Barbara Lee, a Democrat representative who was one of the few politicians to publicly oppose the war on Iraq.
Another host Democrat, Susan Davis, is a strong advocate of issues relating to the welfare of troops, veterans and their families, reflecting the social and economic importance of the large military base in her constituency.
Anna MacFarlane, who worked in the office of Republican Representative Vito Fossella of New York, said that because the memory of September 11 remains vivid among New Yorkers, they remain passionately, if not always rationally, committed to the war.
Sarah John said that among the media, the rising death toll in Iraq was causing tensions: while journalists are committed to backing the troops, doubts about the continued need for their presence are also being voiced.
All the students agreed that American politicians are very much driven by the needs, demands and opinions of their constituents.
Much of the interns' daily work consisted of responding to letters from constituents on particular issues: where there had been a concerted campaign to canvas politicians, they could be dealing with several hundred letters.
The scale of American politics was self-evident - the numbers of staff in the individual offices ranged from eight or nine up to more than forty. Large numbers of American students were also doing stints as interns, but the Australians were treated generously when it came to interesting tasks.
"They knew we had travelled a long way and spent a lot of money to get there, and that we were only there for a short time," Lilia Bednarek said.
And while much of their time was occupied in dealing with the day-to-day business of their offices, the students nevertheless found frequent opportunities to attend briefings and hearings on major issues relating to domestic and international policy.
As interns, the students became instant insiders, with access to the House, the Senate and the Congress, and the Library of Congress.
"I sat in on Condoleeza Rice's confirmation hearings and on State Department briefings on peacekeeping deployments," Andrew Butler said.
"The access was amazing."
As well as hearings and briefings, the interns attended receptions where they were able to meet high-level members of the administration. Four senior officers from the State Department also presented a special briefing on Australian-American relations for them, and the Australian Emabassy in Washington organised a reception, which was hosted by the Deputy Chief of the Mission, Mr Peter Baxter.
Professor DeBats said that 29 students from Flinders have been through the program, which continues to offer an unrivalled experience of the workings of power in the world's largest democracy.
Professor DeBats said the students had seized their opportunities with great enthusiasm. The 6000-word papers that the students will submit for assessment promised to be of "extraordinary quality".
He also said that financial support provided to the students by the University, the Faculty of Social Sciences and KBR was most welcome.
