[2] The IOP officially opened in 2013 and consists of four core programs: Civic Engagement, Speaker Series, Internships and Careers, and Pritzker Fellows.

The IOP also manages The Gate, an independent student-run magazine focused on politics and policy, and "Bridging the Divide," a public service leadership program.

[5] Another core function of the IOP is a speaker series, in which the institute hosts a plethora of events that connect students with key political figures through live interviews and town halls.

[6] Since its inception, the IOP has hosted prominent speakers, including Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Mitt Romney, Rand Paul, Al Gore, Mike Pence, Rick Santorum, John McCain, Newt Gingrich, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, Andrew Yang, Amy Klobuchar, John Brennan,[7] Frank Bruni, Edward Snowden (via videochat), Jon Stewart, Arthur Brooks, Bill Browder, Gina Raimondo, and Chance the Rapper; hosted fellows such as Beth Myers, Michael Steele, Roger Simon, Husain Haqqani, Matthew Dowd, Howard Wolfson, Mark Udall, Tom Harkin, Michael Morell, Jeff Roe, Reihan Salam, and Bakari Sellers.

These Pritzker Fellows offer weekly seminars, office hours, and mentorship to current students to share lessons from their careers.