PGPF Fiscal Internship Program in Washington, DC

The American Action Forum is a forward-looking policy institute dedicated to keeping America strong, free and prosperous. It seeks to promote common-sense, innovative, and solutions-based policies that will reform government, challenge outdated assumptions, and create a smaller, smarter government that will serve its citizens better.

The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a non-profit organization that combines the best ideas from both parties to promote health, security, and opportunity for all Americans. Founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and George Mitchel, BPC drives principled and politically viable policy solutions through the power of rigorous analysis, painstaking negotiation, and aggressive advocacy. As the only Washington, DC-based think tank that actively promotes bipartisanship, BPC works to address the key challenges facing the nation.

The Brookings Institution is a private nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and innovative policy solutions. For 100 years, Brookings has analyzed current and emerging issues and produced new ideas that matter for the nation and the world.

The Center for American Progress is an independent nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans, through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action. Our aim is not just to change the conversation, but to change the country.

The Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, business-led public policy organization that delivers well-researched analysis and reasoned solutions to our nation’s most critical issues. Since its inception in 1942, CED has addressed national priorities that promote sustained economic growth and development to benefit all Americans. CED's research findings are coupled with multi-pronged outreach efforts throughout the country and abroad, achieving tangible impact at the local, state, and national levels.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization committed to educating the public about issues that have significant fiscal policy impact. The Committee is made up of some of the nation's leading budget experts, including many of the past Chairmen and Directors of the Congressional Budget Committees, the Congressional Budget Office, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Federal Reserve Board.

Established in Washington, D.C., over 50 years ago, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research organization dedicated to providing strategic insights and policy solutions to help decisionmakers chart a course toward a better world.

The Economic Policy Institute's mission is to achieve shared prosperity by raising the economic status of low- and middle-income Americans. To this end, EPI works to reshape the way policymakers think about the economy to persuade them to adopt policies that are good for working Americans.

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) is a leader in health policy analysis, health journalism and communication, and is dedicated to filling the need for trusted, independent information on the major health issues facing our nation and its people.

The mission of the Manhattan Institute is to develop and disseminate new ideas that foster greater economic choice and individual responsibility. The Institute serves as a leading voice of free-market ideas, shaping political culture since our founding in 1977. Ideas that have changed the United States and its urban areas for the better—welfare reform, tort reform, proactive policing, and supply-side tax policies, among others—are the heart of MI’s legacy. While continuing with what is tried and true, we are constantly developing new ways of advancing our message in the battle of ideas.

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is the world’s premier university source for market-oriented ideas — bridging the gap between academic ideas and real-world problems. A university-based research center, Mercatus advances knowledge about how markets work to improve people’s lives by training graduate students, conducting research, and applying economics to offer solutions to society’s most pressing problems. Our mission is to generate knowledge and understanding of the institutions that affect the freedom to prosper and to find sustainable solutions that overcome the barriers preventing individuals from living free, prosperous, and peaceful lives. Founded in 1980, the Mercatus Center is located on George Mason University’s Arlington campus.

The National Governors Association (NGA) is the collective voice of the nation’s governors. Its members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. The NGA Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) is the only research and development firm that directly serves the nation’s governors and their key policy staff. The NGA Center provides information, research, policy analysis, technical assistance, and resource development across a range of policy issues.

The Progressive Policy Institute is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock.

The Tax Policy Center (TPC) is a joint venture of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, both nonpartisan research organizations in Washington, D.C. (This listing relates to the Urban Institute.) The Center is made up of nationally recognized experts in tax, budget, and social policy who have served at the highest levels of government. TPC provides timely, accessible analysis and facts about tax policy to policymakers, journalists, citizens, and researchers.

Rising juniors, seniors and graduate students are eligible to apply. Students must have taken at least two courses in economics, math, statistics or political science, and have a working fluency with numbers. Experience with Microsoft Excel is highly recommended.

• Résumé
• Personal Statement
• Statement of Policy Interest
• Unofficial copy of school transcript
• Contact information for two academic or professional references

December 19, 2018: Applications Open
February 3, 2019: Application Deadline
April 5, 2019: Interns Notified of Selection
June 3 – August 9, 2018: Fiscal Internship in Session

This internship is ideal for upper-level college and graduate students with:

• An academic background in economics, political science, public policy, public administration, or a related field
• A demonstrated interest in fiscal and economic policy
• An open mind and willingness to engage with those who share different opinions and beliefs
• A natural curiosity for learning new things
• A desire to live and work independently in Washington D.C.

After your application is submitted, the Peterson Foundation staff and participating host scholars will review your materials. Applicants may indicate a preference for placement at one or more organizations. Each host scholar will select applicants for interviews and will ultimately select his/her intern. Candidates may be contacted directly by one or more of the host scholars for an interview. Interviews typically take place in early to mid-March. If offered an internship by a host scholar, applicants will have 5 days to decide to accept or reject the offer.

The application website will go live on December 19, 2018. Once it does, you can create an application profile and follow directions on how to submit your application. In the meantime, take a look at the required application materials listed in the "Applying" section.

Rising juniors, seniors, and graduate students are eligible to apply. Students must have completed at least two courses in economics, math, statistics, or political science, and have a working fluency with numbers. Experience with Microsoft Excel is highly recommended.

Yes. In the application process, you can signal interest in all organizations for whose internships you would like to be considered. The host organizations vary considerably in their missions, focus areas, and political ideologies. Students are encouraged to research the participating organizations before deciding which ones to apply to.

Please keep in mind that your application materials will be read directly by the host organizations for which you have applied, so your application should be tailored appropriately to highlight your skills and areas of policy interest.

Interested applicants should submit all required application materials no later than 11:59 PM EST on Sunday, February 3, 2019.

Your application will be checked for completeness by PGPF staff. Then, within one week, all completed applications will be made available to the host organizations. Host organizations will be responsible for assessing, interviewing, and hiring candidates from that point on.

We aim to provide hiring decisions by the end of March, but, due to the logistical challenges of coordinating the calendars of so many organizations, this is not a firm date. Once all internship positions have been filled, remaining candidates will be notified that all positions have been filled.

Yes, international students are encouraged to apply. Once offered an internship, international fiscal interns will work directly with their host organization to resolve any related visa concerns. While not every participating organization will be able to accommodate international students, a number of the host organizations have indicated that they would be able to accept students in the US on a visa, and we have had many international students successfully participate in the program in the past.

No. However, if you are selected to participate in the PGPF Fiscal Internship Program, the program coordinators can help you find resources to secure housing for the summer.

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation Fiscal Internship program is looking for a diverse group of talented students who are passionate about policy and good with numbers. The most successful candidates are ambitious, actively involved on campus or in their communities, and have demonstrated superior academic performance.

There is no "typical" fiscal intern — participants come from schools across the country, and vary widely in their political beliefs, backgrounds, and extracurricular involvement. Most participants are early on in their career, majoring in economics or public policy. Interns tend to have working knowledge of fiscal issues prior to the summer, but are not expected to be an expert by any means.

The PGPF Fiscal Internship program provides students with a strong introduction to U.S. fiscal policy by exposing interns to a wide range of fiscal issues, challenges, and potential policy solutions throughout the summer. Interns work closely with a scholar at their host organization on major policy research, and are paid directly by the institution for which they work.

The program is best suited for those who feel comfortable navigating a major city on their own. Interns live and work independently in Washington D.C. and come together about once a week to attend seminars led by each of the participating host organizations. Additional educational and social activities are planned throughout the summer, including a trip to New York City to visit the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, which interns are expected to attend.

If you are interested in talking to a past intern about his/her experience, please contact fiscalinternship@pgpf.org.

The 2019 program will run from June 3, 2019 – August 9, 2019. Internship positions are full-time, and interns are expected to participate fully throughout the program’s duration.

If you have additional questions, please send an email to the PGPF Fiscal Internship Program Director at fiscalinternship@pgpf.org.