Research Internship, Ethics, Rule of Law, and Accountability, 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 and graduate students pursuing a masters degree with an interest in US governance and rule of law 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 32 hours per week, 40 hours is preferred, 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 is a hybrid opportunity. Hybrid positions combine 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 the opportunity to sharpen a variety of research and analysis skills, such as literature reviews, legal and political research, policy memos, fact sheets, writing and editing, citations, and fact-checking (90%); communications skills, including social media assistance and event planning (5%); and project coordination and administrative skills (5%). The topic areas may include, but are not limited to:

• Legal and political accountability for attacks—past, present, and future—on democracy;
• Rule of law, liberalism, and democracy, with particular reference to reconstruction of damage to American democracy and governance; and
• Open government, government ethics, impacts of artificial intelligence on US democracy, and anti-corruption

Qualifications

Education/Knowledge/Skills

Undergraduate students (who have begun junior year) and recent college graduates studying history, political science, public policy, pre-law, philosophy, and related fields are encouraged to apply. (Note: students in their sophomore year or below, graduate students, and candidates with advanced degrees will not be considered.) Interns should be interested in and comfortable with working on a wide variety of subjects.

Preferred qualifications: A demonstrated interest in the legal system, politics, and/or history. Additional interest in government ethics, and/or election litigation/administration is a plus, strong research, writing, analysis, and critical thinking skills, familiarity with legal materials and with primary and secondary source research, eagerness to contribute to a fast-paced work environment and willingness to adapt, experience with fact-checking and citations.

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.