KIP Spring 2025 - Intern - The Cato Institute
Washington, DC
Koch Internship Program – Spring Internship Application /
ST Fellowships - On-Site /
On-site
The Koch Internship Program (KIP) is a paid, 10-week experiential learning program run by Stand Together Fellowships that offers meaningful work experience at non-profits all over the country tackling some of our nation’s most pressing challenges. Throughout your internship with a partner organization, Stand Together Fellowships hosts virtual professional development sessions every Thursday from 1-5 pm ET, wherein you will be mentored by seasoned professionals as you craft a capstone project on the topic that matters most to you. Interns will receive either a $5,500 or $3,300 stipend from Stand Together Fellowships depending on whether they are participating full-time (40 hours/week) or part-time (28 hours/week).
Successful candidates will interview with both our non-profit partner organizations and Stand Together Fellowships staff, so we strongly encourage you to apply in advance!
Overview
The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Our scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research 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.
Description
*To be considered for an internship, you must also apply directly through Cato Institutes online application here by October 27, 2024 at 11:59pm ET*
Are you trying to begin a career in policy, communications, organizational operations, or law? Do you want a rich education in contemporary policy issues—and the philosophical, historic, and economic underpinnings of those issues? A Cato Internship might be right for you.
Cato’s paid internships are for undergraduates, recent graduates, graduate students, law students, and early-career professionals who have a strong commitment to individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace—principles that, taken together, constitute libertarianism, known alternately as “classical liberalism,” “market liberalism,” or, to many of our international friends, just “liberalism.”
With more than 30 different departmental placement options, Cato interns from all backgrounds and areas of study can do substantive work. Cato interns work in a variety of areas. Some interns work as researchers for our policy scholars including placements with our defense and foreign policy team, health care policy team, constitutional studies team, and many others. Other interns work in operations-oriented roles, including media relations, social media, government affairs, and project management. Others work with our design teams on IT, web design, data analytics, and video production.
All Cato interns attend the same intensive seminar series, which covers a broad range of history, philosophy, policy, and professional development topics. Interns also aid with events and occasionally help Cato staff with other day-to-day needs. The Cato Institute Spring internship will run January 28th thru April 18th.
For more information about the internship program and experience, we encourage you to explore ourwebsite and FAQ page.
If you have any questions, feel free to email studentprograms@cato.org
Internship Placements
Below is an outline of the different placement options for a Cato Institute Internships. We recommend exploring this page for specific Descriptions, Responsibilities, Desired Qualifications, and samples of departmental products.
Cato Institute – Constitutional Studies & Law Internships
Cato’s scholars address a wide range of constitutional and legal issues—including federalism, property rights, civil liberties, criminal law and procedure, qualified immunity, civil asset forfeiture, and the Second Amendment, to name a few. Cato expects the judiciary to be the “bulwark” of our liberties, as James Madison put it, neither making up nor ignoring the law but interpreting and applying it through the natural rights tradition we inherited from the Founding generation.
Internship Placements:
· Center for Constitutional Studies
· Center for Monetary & Financial Alternatives – Legal
· Project on Criminal Justice
Cato Institute – Economic Research Internships
The foundations of economic freedom are personal choice, voluntary exchange, and open markets. As Adam Smith, F. A. Hayek, and Milton Friedman stressed, freedom of exchange and minimally regulated markets provide the fuel for economic progress. Without exchange and entrepreneurial activity that is coordinated through markets rather than by governments, modern living standards would be impossible. Cato scholars explore policy reforms that could increase growth by strengthening property rights and the rule of law, safeguarding the value of money, reducing excessive taxes and regulations, scaling back government interference with trade and immigration, and reducing federal spending on programs that harm economic productivity.
Internship Placements:
· Center for Monetary & Financial Alternatives
· Tax & Fiscal Studies
· Budget & Entitlement Policy Studies
· General Economics
Cato Institute – Politics & Society Research Internships
To achieve the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, Cato’s scholars typically take a skeptical look at proposals to expand the size, scope, and power of government.
Internship Placements:
· Center for Educational Freedom
· Health Policy Studies
· Internet Governance
· Project on Emerging Technologies
· Project on Public Opinion
· Poverty & Social Welfare
· Opportunity & Family Studies
Cato Institute – International Research Internships
Cato scholars seek to promote a better understanding around the world of the benefits of market‐liberal policies and institutions, openness, and engagement in the global economy, and a principled and restrained foreign policy. Those benefits include notable improvements in human well‐being as countries increase their levels of economic, civil, and personal freedoms. The United States should thus engage the world, trade freely, and work with other countries on common concerns, but avoid trying to dominate the globe militarily.
Internship Placements:
· Center for Global Liberty & Prosperity – Islam
· Center for Global Liberty & Prosperity – Latin America
· Defense & Foreign Policy
· Human Progress
· Immigration Studies
· Trade Policy Studies
Cato Institute – Communications & Operations Internships
Since 1977, the Cato Institute has been one of the most effective voices in Washington, DC, advocating individual liberty. From media appearances in major outlets, conferences, and book publishing to top‐quality research and engagement on Capitol Hill and with key agencies, Cato has successfully injected the libertarian perspective into mainstream policy debates in Washington, DC, and across the country.
Internship Placements:
· Cato Books
· Conference & Events
· Government Affairs
· Development (Fundraising)
· Media Relations
· Sphere Education Initiative
· Student Programs
Cato Institute – Art, Digital Design, & Technology Internships
Cato’s digital team designs and implements the next generation of Cato’s digital publications and tools - analyzing and visualizing the underlying data for Cato’s research; coordinating Cato’s social media presence; and producing content through graphic design, video editing, livestreaming, and more using cutting-edge facilities and equipment to present Cato’s research products.
Internship Placements:
· Information Technology & Web Science
· Graphic Design
· Video Production
· Social Media
Stand Together Fellowships believes that diversity in experiences, perspectives, knowledge and ideas fuels creativity, broadens knowledge, and helps drive success. Our admissions office treats all program participants and applicants with honesty, dignity, respect and sensitivity. We welcome all qualified applicants regardless of color, race, religion, religious creed, sex, gender or gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, ethnicity, ancestry, age, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy (including medical needs which may arise from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), military and veteran status, genetic information, marital or familial status, political affiliation, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.
