American Congress & Government Internship, Governance Studies

Overview

Thinking about a career in public policy? Committed to improving the world we live in? Think Brookings - one of the most influential, most quoted and most trusted think tanks!

Interns spend approximately 12 weeks working alongside leading experts in government and academia from all over the world. Brookings also offers students the opportunity to intern in departments such as communications, human resources and central operations management. The mission of the Internship Program is to provide students with a pre-professional learning experience that offers meaningful, practical work experience related to their field of study or career interest. Students engage in career exploration and development as well as learn new skills.  

Interns will have the opportunity to attend meetings, think tank events, professional development workshops, and public Brookings events.  In addition, interns will have the opportunity to network with other interns throughout the Institution. 

This internship is an opportunity for undergraduate students in their junior or senior year with an interest in American politics and policy  to apply principles and theory learned in the classroom in a professional environment. PhD students are not eligible for internships; please visit our Careers page for current open positions. This internship pays an hourly rate of $17.50, and applicants must be willing to commit to a minimum number of hours per week (no less than 25 hours per week, during regular business hours), with some flexibility around an academic course schedule. 

To learn more about Brookings research programs, click here.

Position Location: This internship requires you to be located in the U.S. for the duration of the internship. This position is open to hybrid and/or remote applicants. Hybrid work combines regular in-person presence at our Washington, DC, office with the option of remote work. Work location cannot be in any of the following states Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.  Please only apply if you can live and work in states other than those listed above for the duration of the internship.

Responsibilities

Students will have an opportunity to learn a variety of research skills such as data collection, editing, and general research support. Major projects will include fact-checking and helping to maintain Vital Statistics on Congress, data coding for a project relating to the presidency and the Federal Reserve, and data collection for legislative gridlock series. Students will be assisting the work of Senior Fellows Molly Reynolds and Sarah Binder. 

Other research topics that may be covered include, but are not limited to: Congress and congressional procedure; political polarization; reforming government; data management and processing techniques; data science and visualization principles. 

Qualifications

Education/Knowledge/Skills:

Undergraduate students who have completed sophomore year working towards a degree in public policy, political science, or related fields are encouraged to apply.  Our most successful interns have a demonstrated interest in American politics and policy; congress and congressional reform; fiscal and monetary politics and policy; and/or electoral politics; strong writing, analytic and internet-based research skills; experience with fact-checking, summarizing new information, creating literature reviews; familiarity with data collection; data management; tools including Excel, Stata, R, and/or Python. 

Additional Information:  

This internship requires you to be located in the U.S. for the duration of the internship.

Successful completion of a background investigation is required for interning at Brookings.

Brookings requires that all applicants submit a cover letter and resume. Please submit your resume as instructed and add your cover letter as an attachment when you apply. You are required to submit/attach a separate cover letter for each internship application. Your cover letter should highlight your educational experience and skills, along with an explanation of how this internship will contribute to your professional goals.  Please address your cover letter to Hiring Manager.

If selected as a finalist for the internship, you will be required to submit two letters of recommendation or provide two professional references.  

Applications will be accepted until November 3, 2024. Applications not completed and submitted by the application deadline date will not be considered. Your application is considered complete when you receive an email confirming that your application was successfully submitted.

As you are applying, please be sure to click here to learn more about the Brookings Internship Program, deadlines, and directions on how to successfully submit your internship application(s).

Brookings welcomes and celebrates diversity in all its forms.  We welcome applications that reflect a variety of backgrounds based on ideology, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, first generation college goers, and other factors protected by law. Brookings is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace.