Internship Program

Internship Program

As a Cato digital media intern, you will assist in all aspects of digital media content creation as well as in broadcast production. Working with Jonathan Fields and award‐​winning producer Lena Popilieva, you will learn about motion graphics design, video editing, camera operation, livestreaming, and more.

Workload

• Work with the production team to create and pitch original content videos
• Log and archive existing video footage and update b‑roll for archives as needed
• Work with the production team to help with live studio productions

Qualifications

• Working knowledge of video production equipment, including camera operation, audio capture, and lighting proficiency
• Experience with nonlinear editing software (Adobe preferred)
• Ability to work under pressure within a fast‐​paced quick set‐​to‐​strike window
• Ability to work with a team and to take creative criticism from team members
• On‐​set experience a plus

As an Entitlement and Budget intern, you will help economists research tax and budget issues, work with spreadsheet data, use government and private data sources, and develop firsthand knowledge about federal spending programs and entitlement policies.

Workload

• Frequent fact‐​finding missions to support scholars’ op‐​eds, studies, and blog posts
• Track pending state and federal legislation
• Data collection for comparative studies of policies across states and countries
• Write up background research on issues of interest to scholars

Qualifications

• Strong economic background
• Proficiency in Excel
• Interest in budget and entitlement policy

Participate in discussions about forthcoming book projects at Cato and help to make them a reality. As a Cato Books intern, you will help prepare and review indexes and bibliographies, meet authors, and read soon‐​to‐​be published Cato material. Working closely with managing editor Eleanor O’Connor, you will learn about both the content and the production sides of this part of Cato’s work. Finalists for this department will be asked to complete a brief copyediting test.

Workload

• Edit manuscript bibliographies for correct punctuation, spelling, and formatting
• Bring bibliographic issues to editors’ attention
• Fact and reference checking as needed

Qualifications

• Strong writing skills
• Familiarity with online and university library reference systems
• Social science or humanities research background (essential)
• Fluency with Chicago Manual of Style preferred

As a Robert E. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies intern, you will have the opportunity to support work on impactful Supreme Court cases, analyze petitions to the Court, and assess their likelihood of success. The Center files many amicus briefs each year, and there will be opportunities for both writing and research. As various legal issues arise, you will be tasked with researching both law and policy.

Workload

• Conduct literature reviews
• Draft memos and legal briefs
• Bluebook articles for publication
• Attend and report on Hill briefings and other relevant panels and conferences

Qualifications

• Knowledge of classical liberal legal tradition
• Strong research and writing skills
• Dedicated interest in constitutional law
• Legal research experience
• JD candidates strongly preferred

Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom (CEF) engages in the national debate to expand choice in K–12 education, reduce crippling government “help” in higher ed, and keep pre‑K focused on families, not government dictates. CEF interns will be in the midst of this, digging up data and research on education outcomes and inputs, talking with CEF scholars about the how and why of education policy, and better understanding the importance of freedom in an area in which it has been marginalized far too long.

Workload

• Provide fact‐​finding and research for scholars’ op‐​eds, papers, and blog posts
• Write background research on issues of interest to scholars
• Attend and report on Hill briefings and other relevant panels and conferences

Qualifications

• Strong research and writing skills
• Dedicated interest in education policy
• Proficiency in Excel

Participate in a unique project at the Cato Institute: the study, articulation, and advancement of human liberty in Islamic thought and contemporary Muslim societies. You will work with senior fellow Mustafa Akyol, one of the “top 50 thinkers in the world,” in connecting ancient religious texts to contemporary affairs, focusing on key discussions about freedom of speech, religion, women, or minorities in today’s Islamic world.

Workload

• Conduct literature reviews on certain academic or classical texts on the intersection of Islam and freedom
• Assist in writing and editing for books, blogs, and op‐​eds
• Research and outreach for news publications on contemporary issues in Islam or the politics of the Muslim world
• Organize policy forums and conferences for the department

Qualifications

• Interest in religion, in particular Islam, and the theological or legal discussions in the religious tradition that relate to human liberty, human rights, and rationality
• Strong research, writing, and editing skills
• Familiarity with the politics and culture of Muslim‐​majority societies or Muslim minorities in the West

Interns working on Latin America will prepare daily reports on relevant issues that appear in the region’s press, research economic and personal freedom indicators in the region, help department scholars prepare papers and op‐​eds for publication in the United States and Latin America, occasionally prepare translations into Spanish for Cato’s Spanish‐​language website, elca​to​.org, and otherwise support the work of Center scholars who focus on Latin America.

Workload

• Provide supporting research and fact‐​finding for scholars’ op‐​eds, blog posts, etc.
• Update scholars daily on major global news, specifically on Latin America
• Find, gather, and research data on various economic and social indicators
• Collaborate with El Cato’s social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram)
• Occasionally attend events and forums relevant to the scholars’ projects

Qualifications

• Dedicated interest in development policy
• Strong research and writing skills
• Spanish fluency a plus
• Proficiency in Excel
• Proficiency in R, Python, Stata, or any other statistical or programming software is a plus
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and video is a plus
• Graphic design skills are a plus

As a Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives (CMFA) intern, you will work with scholars on projects dedicated to revealing the shortcomings of today’s centralized, bureaucratic, and discretionary monetary and financial‐​regulatory systems and to identifying, studying, and promoting alternatives more conducive to a stable, flourishing, and free society. Both legal and economics CMFA interns will gain a deeper understanding of not only how the U.S. economy has taken shape but also what it takes to create impactful research.

Workload

• Provide research assistance to the Center’s scholars on a wide range of issues related to monetary policy and financial markets
  • Issue areas may include the following:
    • Federal Reserve
    • Dodd‐​Frank Act
    • financial markets regulation
    • housing policy
    • banking regulation
    • financial markets innovations: crowd‐​funding, peer‐​to‐​peer lending, mobile payments, and cryptocurrencies
• Assemble literature reviews and draft memos
• Attend and report on congressional hearings and briefings as well as other events around Washington, DC
• Assist the Center’s social media efforts by identifying relevant content for sharing and promoting
• Optional: Conduct an independent research project supervised by a Center scholar

Qualifications

• Strong academic record
• Excellent research and writing skills
• Background in economics or finance preferred
• Expressed interest in monetary policy and/​or financial markets
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel

Workload

• Assemble literature reviews and draft memos
• Research and draft legal memos and briefs
• Bluebook briefs and articles for submission
• Attend and report on congressional hearings and briefings as well as other events around Washington, DC
• Optional: Conduct an independent research project supervised by a Center scholar

Qualifications

• Strong academic record
• Excellent research skills, including experience with legal research
• Expressed interest in financial regulation and markets
• JD candidacy is required for this position

As a Cato trade intern, you will help conduct primary research on U.S. and global trade law and economics, provide initial drafts of speeches and articles, and create data visualizations to convey important policy arguments. Working closely with Cato trade scholars, you will learn about trade policy and politics from one of the preeminent trade groups in Washington.

Workload

• Stay on top of the trade policy developments and write summaries and opinions of those developments
• Gather information from executive agency and legislative committee hearings, as well as conferences and other events hosted by think tanks, business associations, and other interest groups
• Collect and analyze data from official sources, such as the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Census Bureau, Federal Reserve, Bureau of Labor Statistics, etc. to buttress arguments for free trade and free markets
• Support the work of Cato trade policy scholars by conducting background research, compiling data, and generating tables, charts, outlines, and summaries of articles and papers

Qualifications

• Strong interest in supporting efforts to educate the public and policymakers about the benefits of free trade and the costs of protectionism
• General familiarity within U.S. trade policy, global trade institutions, and the major trade policy issues of the day
• Ability to multitask effectively and efficiently and to balance short‐​term and longer‐​term objectives
• Capacity to think and work independently on projects without requiring too much oversight or frequent guidance
• Understanding of where to find relevant data and how to use statistics and charts to reinforce policy arguments and positions

Cato Defense and Foreign Policy (DFP) interns conduct a variety of research assistance tasks, including writing research briefs and memos, conducting literature reviews to help policy staff better understand broad topics, and helping to edit work. DFP interns attend both internal and external events, learn about a wide range of foreign policy and defense topics, and provide programmatic support. Individuals with a passion for advancing a grand strategy of restraint are especially encouraged to apply.

Workload

• Research projects on a wide range of foreign policy topics—from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and all points in between—as well as defense, homeland security, and counterterrorism
• Attend Hill briefings and panels at other think tanks
• Compile foreign and defense policy news articles and op‐​eds

Qualifications

• Strong research and writing skills
• Dedicated interest in foreign and defense policy
• Background in computational social science or computer science (especially fluency in R and Python) a plus but not required
• Graduate students (in political science, international relations, or history) preferred or undergraduates with a solid foundation in international relations or international history

Working as a Development intern offers unique insight into fundraising for a policy research organization. Experience in this role will build essential foundations in nonprofit business management. Depending on the successful candidate’s interest and experience, the Development intern will support Cato’s $33 million+ annual fundraising efforts.

Workload

• Make thank you and customer service calls and managing information in Cato’s Salesforce database
• Work with Cato’s director of development communications to assist with print and digital communications to Cato’s sponsors, writing and editing emails/​publications, conducting market research, collecting data, organizing email/​mailing lists, and marketing campaigns in HubSpot
• Prepare research for the Development team with a particular focus on using iWave to inform moves management for Sponsors
• Support other tasks and projects as needed by the Development team

Qualifications

• Professional demeanor and excellent interpersonal skills to work effectively with Cato staff, current and former interns, and outside partners
• Organized, diligent, and entrepreneurial
• Detail‐​oriented and capable of multitasking while meeting deadlines across a variety of responsibilities

Help design and program the next generation of Cato’s digital publications and tools; analyze and visualize the underlying data for Cato’s research; and coordinate Cato’s social media presence. Our team blends the culture of a think tank with a software/​media startup. You will gain valuable experience in web programming, web/​graphic design, and data analysis, all of which make the cutting‐​edge digital presence of Cato possible.

Workload

Some or all of the following (depending on interest and skills):

• Assist in data analysis and cleanup
• Create data sets and visualizations as needed
• Edit, curate, and post online content
• Assist in digital marketing campaign creation and execution
• Create/​modify reports and reporting dashboards
• Assist with audio/​visual setup and post‐​production

Qualifications

• Knowledge and experience working in databases
• Intermediate HTML skills
• Interest in databases, marketing automation, and digital publishing
• Good working knowledge of office productivity software tools
• Exposure to one or more publishing technologies (WordPress, InDesign, Drupal)

Working directly with Alex Nowrasteh, Vice President of Economic & Social Policy Studies you will support high‐​level research into economic and social policy with an emphasis on immigration policy. Research subjects have included the fiscal impact of immigrants to the United States and examination of the relationship between terrorism and immigration.

Responsibilities

• Statistical analysis of economic and social policy data
• Research and literature review of existing economic and social policies
• Identifying and summarizing comprehensive policy reports and papers to support new and ongoing research projects
• Supporting the editing process of policy research publications

Qualifications

• Strong interest in supporting efforts to educate the public and policymakers about the benefits of liberalizes economic and social policies
• Strong quantitative research skills and experience
• Proficiency with Excel/​STATA/​R/​Python for statistical analysis
• General familiarity with U.S. (United States) economic and social policies, associated institutions, and current events

Support energy and environmental policy research on topics ranging from freeing up energy production to reforming legislative and regulatory approaches to environmental policy. During your internship, you will work closely with Travis Fisher, director of energy and environmental policy studies, and hopefully gain new perspectives on energy and environmental issues. Responsibilities include collecting research data, tracking state and federal legislation and regulation, and assisting with outreach. Finalists for this role will be asked to provide a supplementary writing sample on a topic related to energy or environmental policy.

Qualifications

• Provide frequent fact‐​finding to support op‐​eds, papers, and blog posts

• Track pending state and federal legislation and regulatory changes

• Collect and analyze data for comparative studies of policies across states and countries

• Organize outreach

As a Cato general economics intern, you will help conduct primary research on U.S. and global economic issues, provide initial drafts of speeches and articles, and create data visualizations to convey important policy arguments. Working closely with Cato scholars, you will learn about state and federal economic policy and politics from one of the preeminent free market economics groups in Washington.

Responsibilities

• Stay on top of economic policy developments and write summaries and opinions of those developments
• Gather information from executive agency and legislative committee hearings, as well as conferences and other events hosted by think tanks, business associations, and other interest groups
• Collect and analyze data from official sources, such as the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Census Bureau, Federal Reserve, Bureau of Labor Statistics, etc. to buttress arguments for free markets
• Support the work of Cato scholars by conducting background research, compiling data, and generating tables, charts, outlines, and summaries of articles and papers

Qualifications

• Strong interest in supporting efforts to educate the public and policymakers about the benefits of free markets
• General familiarity within U.S. economic policy, state and federal institutions, and the major economic policy issues of the day

Cato’s Government Affairs team works to provide policymakers with the best information and intellectual support possible to advance the values of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. As an intern on the Government Affairs team, you will be responsible for assisting your colleagues with Cato’s outreach efforts to policymakers, officials, and their staff. This includes producing both daily and weekly briefings and following various policy developments of interest to Cato scholars and staff. You will also compose research briefs and attend and provide readouts of briefings, committee hearings, and other events.

Workload

• Track and report on daily news, Cato scholarship, Cato mentions of policymakers, and Cato mentions in government documents and sources.
• Assist with department record‐​keeping efforts, including the maintenance of Excel spreadsheets
• Assist with department record‐​keeping efforts, including the maintenance of Excel spreadsheets
• Attend and provide readouts of briefings, hearings, and other events as directed
• Conduct applied research on legislation, regulation, and legislator backgrounds
• Create and distribute materials to policymakers
• Other related duties and projects as assigned

Qualifications

• Clear interest in government affairs and translating academic work into policy change
• Exceptional writing and interpersonal skills
• Strong proofreading and copyediting skills
• Strong attention to detail

As a Cato Graphic Design Intern, you will assist the Art Department in conceptualizing and designing stunning visuals to promote Cato’s work through a variety of projects. You will learn about designing graphics and best design practices for digital, web, and print media.

Workload

• Design graphics for Cato’s various social media platforms and webpages
• Create layouts for print products including, but not limited to, ads, fliers, signage, and other collateral
• Adhere to Cato’s brand and design standards

Qualifications

• Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, especially Photoshop, Illustrator, and Indesign.
• Must either be enrolled in or have a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design or related field.
• The ideal candidate will have a design portfolio — student portfolio consisting of design assignments acceptable.
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast‐​paced environment.
• Ability to create original vector illustrations and motion graphics a plus.

Support health policy research on topics ranging from Food and Drug Administration reform to telehealth expansion to the tax treatment of health care. You will work closely with Michael F. Cannon, director of health policy studies, and Jeffrey A. Singer, senior fellow, on research projects and hopefully gain new perspectives on health care issues during your internship. Responsibilities include collecting research data, tracking state and federal legislation, and assisting with policy forums and conferences for the department. Finalists for this department will be asked to provide a supplementary writing sample.

Workload

• Provide frequent fact‐​finding to support scholars’ op‐​eds, papers, and blog posts
• Track pending state and federal legislation
• Collect data for comparative studies of policies across states and countries
• Organize events

Qualifications

• Commitment to individual liberty
• Interest in making health care better, more affordable, and more secure
• Strong economics background
• Proficiency in Word and Excel

The news is filled with doom and gloom, and many people think that the world is getting worse. But is that really true? In fact, empirical evidence suggests that the world is getting better on most dimensions. If you are interested in trendlines, rather than headlines, then Human Progress is for you.

Workload

• Track down and work with data on human progress, ranging from expanded access to clean drinking water to advances in space exploration
• Edit scholarly papers, journalistic articles, and blog posts
• Create social media content and engaging graphics

Qualifications

• Interest in international development and technological advancement
• Proficiency in Excel and passion for data
• Sharp editing skills and attention to detail
• Creativity and proficiency in Photoshop a plus
• Passionate about free markets and dedicated to economic and political liberty

Most Americans are immigrants or descended from immigrants who sought opportunity and freedom on our shores. They and their children worked hard, assimilated, and added to our nation’s prosperity. As a Cato immigration intern, you will assist with research and analysis on important aspects of U.S. immigration law and its effects. You will work directly with Cato’s immigration policy experts Alex Nowrasteh and David Bier in producing reports on the U.S. immigration system.

Workload

• Help with original statistical research projects on immigration
• Gather data about immigrants, the U.S. economy, immigration laws, and other related social science indicators
• Perform frequent fact‐​finding missions to support scholars’ op‐​eds, studies, and blog posts
• Read and summarize books or articles

Qualifications

• Strong statistics background
• Strong research and writing skills
• Proficiency in Excel spreadsheets
• STATA knowledge a huge plus

Liberal Studies interns work directly with Cato Distinguished Scholar, and Isaiah Berlin Chair of Liberal Thought, Professor Deirdre N. McCloskey to support her research and publication across a variety of subjects including economic theory, economic history, philosophy, rhetoric, statistical theory, feminism, ethics, and law. Working closely with Professor McCloskey and other Cato scholars, you will build a deeper understanding of the political, economic, and intellectual history of liberalism and its application to contemporary discourse.

Responsibilities

• Copyediting of manuscripts.
• Research details of current research projects and upcoming publications.
• Pursue independent research interests with mentorship from Professor McCloskey.

Qualifications

• Strong qualitative or quantitative research and writing skills
• Deep interest in economic history and theory
• Enthusiasm for supporting efforts to promote understanding and application of classical liberalism
• Familiarity with Dr. McCloskey’s work such as Why Liberalism Works: How True Liberal Values Produce a Freer, More Equal, Prosperous World for All, and Leave Me Alone and I’ll Make You Rich: The Bourgeois Deal.

Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org is dedicated to being the premier website for people interested in the concepts and traditions of libertarianism. Our team captures and promotes the independent, nonpartisan research of scholars and analysts on a wide range of policy issues. We believe that social and economic freedom is not just the best policy for a free people, it is the indispensable framework for the future.

Most people want freedom for themselves. Valuing the liberty of others is less common, especially of those who may be unlike us or behave in ways we disfavor. Libertarianism, and the broader liberal tradition, seeks freedom for everyone. Our goal at Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org is to help people cultivate their love for the freedom of others. Editorial interns working with Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org assist scholars with research and editing while learning about the history and philosophy of liberalism.

Workload

Duties vary based on intern’s skills and interests.

• Proofread and provide feedback on manuscripts
• Select excerpts from classic libertarian texts for publication
• Identify topics/​areas of study important to the libertarian intellectual tradition that our website does not yet adequately cover
• Digitizing old books for republication

Qualifications

• Strong language skills, including experience reading academic literature
• Interest in the libertarian intellectual tradition and willingness to learn more
• Background in philosophy, intellectual history, or a related field
• Familiarity with The Chicago Manual of Style preferred
• The best candidates for this role will be curious, deliberate, and fastidious thinkers

Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org is dedicated to being the premier website for people interested in the concepts and traditions of libertarianism. Our team captures and promotes the independent, nonpartisan research of scholars and analysts on a wide range of policy issues. We believe that social and economic freedom is not just the best policy for a free people, it is the indispensable framework for the future.

Most people want freedom for themselves. Valuing the liberty of others is less common, especially of those who may be unlike us or behave in ways we disfavor. Libertarianism, and the broader liberal tradition, seeks freedom for everyone. Our goal at Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org is to help people cultivate their love for the freedom of others. Marketing and analytics interns work to help the L.org marketing and operations teams develop promotional materials and social media content and assess the team’s key performance indicators all while learning about the history and philosophy of liberalism.

Workload

• Staying up to date on trending/​viral topics and communicating trends to stakeholders
• Analyzing social media and marketing‐​related data to help guide future marketing efforts.
• Studying libertarian perspectives on various topics and distilling them down for Libertarianism.org’s audience
• Listening to our latest podcasts and providing quotes and context for our marketing team
• Compiling quotes from various libertarian writers and thinkers for our social media

Qualifications

• Background in marketing, communication, business, or a related field
• Interest in the libertarian intellectual tradition and willingness to learn more
• Ability to grasp the core ideas of unfamiliar texts quickly and accurately
• Familiarity with the libertarian social media ecosystem
• Frequent user of social media
• Working knowledge of Excel and Outlook
• Experience with marketing and social media tools (HubSpot, Twitter Analytics, and/​or Google Analytics) preferred
• Graphic design experience (Canva, Photoshop) preferred

Cato’s communications team works with the media to inform the public of Cato’s vision to create free, open, and civil societies founded on libertarian principles. As part of the communications team, you will help handle media requests, learn to write press pitches and releases, and assist members of the communications department. Working closely with media coordinators Emily Adamec and Nicole Hinojosa, you will help Cato make an impact in the media.

Workload

• Attend daily media department meetings
• Prepare daily summaries of Cato citations and media appearances
• Track newsworthy topics for Cato scholars to comment on

Qualifications

• Excellent writing skills
• Attention to detail
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Dedicated interest in media, public relations, and public policy

Workload

• Provide supporting research and fact‐​finding for scholars’ op‐​eds, blogs posts, etc.
• Find, gather, and research data on various economic indicators and governmental regulations
• Manage content for social media platforms

Qualifications

• Strong interest in urban growth, public land, transportation issues, housing/​zoning policy, and policies affecting family and opportunity
• Experience in marketing and social media content management and creation
• Experience with statistical software and analytical skills

You will help our criminal justice team roll back unconstitutional overcriminalization, restore accountability for police and prosecutors who violate people’s rights, and challenge the scourge of plea‐​driven mass adjudication. As an intern in Cato’s Project on Criminal Justice, you will work with leading scholars and activists on researching legal briefs, responding to the many injustices perpetrated by the criminal justice system, and supporting legislative outreach efforts. Finalists for this department will be asked to provide a supplementary resume.

Workload

• Conduct literature reviews
• Frequent fact‐​finding missions to support scholars’ op‐​eds, studies, and blog posts
• Attend and report on Hill briefings and other relevant panels and conferences

Qualifications

• Strong research and writing skills
• Demonstrated interest in criminal justice
• Legal research experience a plus

Workload

• Provide research assistance for the design of national public opinion surveys on a wide variety of topics, including free speech, financial regulation, welfare, health care, criminal justice reform, and more
• Provide supporting research and fact‐​finding for scholars’ research papers, op‐​eds, and blog posts
• Assist in the editing, formatting, and citation of public opinion survey reports, opinion briefs, op‐​eds, and blog posts
• Write short memos analyzing public opinion data on a variety of topics as needed for presentations, reports, media appearances, etc.
• Help manage a daily poll tracker of national surveys
• Create social media content and shareable graphics

Qualifications

• Strong research skills
• Statistical background
• Proficiency in Excel spreadsheets and making graphics
• Sharp editing skills
• Problem solver and self‐​starter
• Interest in elections, politics, and polling a plus

We’re looking for a talented social media intern who can help bring Cato’s vision to the wider internet audience. Responsibilities and projects will vary, but could include video and graphic creation, platform management, analytics, social media strategy, digital advertising, and more.

Responsibilities

• Help communicate Cato’s vision of free, open, and civil societies founded on libertarian principles to a growing social media audience of 1.7 million followers across Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok.
• Attend regular meetings with teams around the building and help translate Cato research and commentary into social media content.

Qualifications

• Must have strong writing and communication skills.
• An ideal candidate is a self‐​motivated go‐​getter who is able to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Previous social media management, video, and graphic design experience is a plus.

As a Sphere intern, you’ll have the chance to support all aspects of our efforts to reinvigorate civil discourse and civic culture through working with educators across America. You’ll have the chance to conduct research, support live and virtual programming, and take on a wide variety of projects that match your skills and allow you to grow as a professional.

Workload

• Support the application review and program development process for Sphere Summit
• Provide logistical support for Sphere on the Road, including material acquisition, shipment, hotel booking, and related support
• Coordinate speaker requests, manage technical components, and provide general support for webinars
• Support other tasks and projects as needed by the Sphere team

Qualifications

• High degree of professionalism, humility, and entrepreneurship
• Knowledge of libertarian and classical liberal thought
• Familiarity with the American education system a plus
• Familiarity with Zoom, Excel, and Salesforce a plus

For almost two decades, The Cato Institute’s Educational Programs team has identified and developed future leaders, thinkers, advocates, and supporters of the libertarian movement. The students and rising professionals Cato engage go on to bring a libertarian perspective to impactful careers spanning education, government, media, advocacy, and business.

We are seeking an Educational Programs Intern to support Cato’s internship program, alumni engagement efforts, systems and measurement analysis, and strategic relationship building. Ideal candidates for the position are organized, diligent, and entrepreneurial. Strong candidates will be detail‐​oriented and capable of multitasking while meeting deadlines across a variety of responsibilities. They must possess the necessary interpersonal and communications skills to work effectively with Cato staff, current and former interns, and outside partners.

Responsibilites

Working as an Educational Programs Intern offers unique insight into the operations of a policy research organization. Experience in this role will build essential foundations in non‐​profit business management. The Educational Programs Intern will:

• Assist with the scheduling and execution of Cato’s internship program including communicating with scholars, conference staff, and others.
• Track intern alumni and assist in the growth and use of our alumni network.
• Maintain the Student Programs learning management platforms.
• Provide virtual support as needed for remote events.
• Assist in the establishment of systems and measurement tools and in their analysis.
• Support other tasks and projects as needed by the Student Programs team.

Qualifications

• High degree of professionalism, integrity, humility, and entrepreneurship
• Intermediate skill with Microsoft Office 365, Zoom, and attention to detail
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills
• Proficiency with Excel and experience with data analytics
• Knowledgeable of libertarian and classical liberal thought and a passion for sharing these ideals with young professionals
• Background in program management a plus
• Background in advertising and outreach a plus

Working with Cato’s technology policy scholars, as an intern, you assist scholars on research related to a wide range of technology policy issues including artificial intelligence, content moderation, antitrust and competition policy, youth online safety, data privacy, and much more. Working closely with the team, you will learn about the most important and interesting policy debates on emerging technologies including the impact of various regulations on consumers and entrepreneurs as well as a free market approach to technological governance.

Workload

• Keep up to date with relevant legislative activity as well as academic and policy developments
• Proofread and provide feedback on article and policy analysis drafts
• Attend a variety of events and working groups related to technology policy topics
• Identify and liaise with authors and project contributors

Qualifications

• Strong interest in emerging technologies
• Attention to detail
• Ability to be self‐​guided and well‐​organized
• Excellent research and writing skills
• Basic understanding of internet platforms, current social media regulation, and First Amendment jurisprudence

As a tax policy intern, you will help economists research and write about taxes and their impact on economic and fiscal policy, collect, clean, and analyze public data sources to support ongoing research priorities, and develop firsthand knowledge about how the federal tax code raises revenue, distributes subsidies, and distorts markets.

Responsibilities

• Frequent fact‐​finding missions to support scholars’ op‐​eds, studies, and blog posts
• Data collection and analysis for comparative studies of policies across states and countries
• Write comprehensive literature reviews on issues of interest to scholars

Qualifications

• Strong background in economics and research
• Proficiency in Excel
• Interest in fiscal policy
• Proficient in Stata/​R a plus