Research Intern (Summer 2025)
Research Intern (Summer 2025)
Semester: Summer (June-August)
Status: Part-time Temporary (24-32 hours)
Reports to: Research Director
Stipend: $18.00/hour
Location: Remote
ORGANIZATION
Issue One is the leading nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization that unites Republicans, Democrats, and independents to win game-changing federal reforms to fix our broken political system and create an inclusive democracy that works for everyone. Issue One educates the public and Congress to pass legislation to reduce the influence of big money in politics, strengthen government ethics, bolster U.S. elections, and create a healthy online information environment that enhances our democracy..
POSITION
Are you a college student or recent college graduate with an interest in protecting our democracy? Do you enjoy data analysis, research, and writing?
If so, Issue One — the leading cross partisan political reform organization in Washington, D.C. — has the internship for you!
Issue One is seeking a Summer Research Intern who can help produce compelling reports and other materials that make the case for reducing the undue influence of big money in politics, strengthening our critical election infrastructure, and adopting common sense safeguards for social media platforms that protect our kids, our national security, and our democracy.
Our interns are integral members of the team. You will gain hands-on experience in bipartisan outreach and advocacy, communications and messaging tactics, robust research operations, working with current and former elected officials who are Democrats, Republicans, and independents, and much more.
The ideal candidate will love spreadsheets as much as writing term papers. They will also have an insatiable appetite for ferreting out interesting data from campaign finance filings, lobbying reports, polling, academic research, and the far corners of the internet. Ideally, they will also have a good understanding of our political system, as well as some experience doing research and/or writing projects in college.
Bonus points if you already know how to analyze data using pivot tables. And if you don’t know about pivot tables, we’ll teach you as part of this internship!
This intern will report to Issue One Research Director Michael Beckel, who, prior to joining Issue One in 2017, worked as an investigative reporter for roughly a decade at organizations including the Center for Public Integrity, OpenSecrets.org, and Mother Jones.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Conduct research and writing projects in support of Issue One’s work to strengthen our critical elections infrastructure, support election officials from across the political spectrum, monitor the money flowing in campaigns, and expose the political influence of social media companies.
- Help maintain databases related to Issue One’s work
- Monitor news and political developments related to Issue One’s work
- Assist the Research & Communications teams with communications research and outreach
- Attend virtual and/or in-person events — such as webinars, speeches, and panels — taking notes about the key points covered and reporting back to other Issue One staff about what was said
- Help with other tasks as required
POSITION REQUIREMENTS
- Currently enrolled in an undergraduate program, or a recent graduate
- Demonstrated interest in strengthening our democracy and election issues
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Excellent computer skills (Google Docs/Sheets; MS Office, including Microsoft Excel)
- Strong organizational abilities
- Outstanding attention to detail
- Ability to work independently, as well as with a team
- Commitment to Issue One’s cross partisan approach to advocacy
LOCATION
This position can be either fully remote or a hybrid schedule, for interns who reside in the Washington, D.C., area. If participating in the hybrid schedule, interns would typically join us on-site in our Washington, D.C., office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and work remotely on other days. If fully remote, interns must reside in a state where Issue One is formally established, namely California, Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Utah, and Virginia. Remote opportunities outside of these states will not be available.
We anticipate this being a roughly 12-week internship, with a start date on or about Monday, June 3, through about Thursday, August 22.
SALARY & BENEFITS
This intern will be expected to work between 24 and 32 hours per week and be compensated at a rate of $18.00 per hour.
Tentative Recruitment Timeline
- March 4- March 12: Position is posted, and resumes are collected
- March 12-21: Resumes are screened and interviews are scheduled.
- March 25-29: Interviews occur with potential assessments scheduled
- April 1-5: Finalist selected and internship offered
Special Note: While Issue One will do its best to follow the above timeline, there are instances where the selection process is shortened or delayed due to circumstances beyond our control. The organization will do its best to update all selected candidates on any changes to the timeline. In addition, while resumes may be submitted after March 17, there’s no guarantee they will be screened for a potential interview.
DEI Philosophy and Self-ID Questionnaire
Our DEI efforts focus on empowering staff, valuing differences, and ensuring every voice matters. We aim to attract diverse candidates with varied perspectives and experiences, reinforcing our commitment to a workplace where everyone's unique contributions are celebrated.
We ask all applicants to fill out a voluntary self-identification questionnaire as part of our application. This helps us maintain our DEI commitment and create equal opportunities for success.
How to Apply
Interested applicants can apply by clicking here. Please include how you heard about the position.
Issue One is committed to the principles of equal employment. We are committed to complying with all federal, state, and local laws providing equal employment opportunities and all other employment laws and regulations. We intend to maintain a work environment that is free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation because of age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation (including transgender status, gender identity or expression), pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions), reproductive health decisions, marital status, personal appearance, matriculation, political affiliation, credit information, employment status, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), veteran status, uniformed service member status, status as a victim or family member of a victim of domestic violence, a sexual offense, or stalking, homeless status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. The Company is dedicated to the fulfillment of this policy in regard to all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay, fringe benefits, and other compensation, the application of disability and/or temporary disability policies, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.