Government Works Weekly #38
Jobs, Events, and a Not So Beautiful Bill
Welcome to your weekly roundup of opportunities, events, and information about how government works—and how government can work better—to improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities.
If you find this newsletter useful, please consider sharing with a friend or colleague that would also benefit.
Scroll down for 70+ new jobs and opportunities, more info on the falsely advertised “Big Beautiful Bill,” and loads of recent and upcoming events.
APPLY YOURSELF – jobs, internships, and other ways to get involved
POLICY + PROGRAM
Policy Manager to the Global Executive Director, J-PAL Global [MIT]
Executive Director, Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation [Johns Hopkins University]
Evidence and Evaluation Manager, Arnold Ventures [Houston, TX]
Director or Senior Director, Center for Data Policy, Data Foundation [Hybrid D.C.]
Associate Vice President for Government Relations and Public Policy, Association of American Universities [D.C.]
Senior Staff Attorney / Counsel (and more), Democracy Forward [D.C.]
Justice in Public Safety Project Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund [Hybrid NY]
Coordinator, Legal and Policy, Human Rights Watch [NY / deadline 12 June]
Associate Director, Science & Society, Pew Research Center [D.C.]
Deputy Director of Research, Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab [American University]
Policy and Advocacy Director, Refugee Congress [preference for D.C. area]
STATE + LOCAL
Manager, Transformation, League of Women Voters [DMV]
Senior Program Officer - Municipal Investment Fund, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability [Remote]
Program Coordinator, Leaders and International, National Conference of State Legislatures [Denver / deadline 11 June]
Program Coordinator, State Services, National Conference of State Legislatures [Denver / deadline 13 June]
Policy Associate, Council of State Governments [Lexington, KY]
Associate State Director (Multiple Positions), AARP [NY, DE, MD, WI, MO, IA, MT]
Vice President, State and Local Advocacy, Kids in Need of Defense [D.C. / Remote]
California Statewide Apprenticeship Hub Director, NextGen Policy [Remote CA]
Senior Policy Strategist, Sierra Club California [Sacramento, CA]
Special Projects and Policy Manager - California, Trust for Public Land [Los Angeles, CA]
Associate Vice President, State Director - Pennsylvania, Trust for Public Land [Philadelphia, PA]
Senior Officer, Washington State Data, Gates Foundation [Seattle / deadline 6 June]
Emergency Manager, City Manager’s Office, City of Rockville [MD / deadline 16 June]
Rural Democracy Network Organizer, West Central Initiative [Fergus Falls, MN]
Deputy Director, One Arizona [Hybrid / Phoenix]
Policy & Research Associate, Economic Opportunity Institute [Seattle, WA]
Civil Rights Officer (Operations & Policy Analyst), Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care [Hybrid / Salem]
State-Level Policy and Practice Associate, UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent [deadline 6 June]
Vice President of Data, Research & Professional Education, Indiana Youth Institute [Remote / Indianapolis]
Citizens Initiative Campaign Manager, Save Maine Absentee Voting [ME]
Operations and Evaluation Manager, Civics and History Inquiry Partnership [MA / priority deadline 20 June]
Research Associate, Rebuild Initiative, Harvard Graduate School of Design [Cambridge, MA]
Associate Director of State and Local Relations, Habitat for Humanity International [D.C. or Remote U.S.]
INTERNATIONAL + GLOBAL
Thematic Lead, Civic Space, Transparency International [Berlin]
Executive Director, Oslo Center [deadline 15 June]
Senior Research Fellow, International Law and Governance, Chatham House [London / deadline 8 June]
Programme Manager - Practical Politics Platform, Blavatnik School of Government [Oxford, UK / deadline 23 June]
Programme Coordinator, EU Law, Democracy Reporting International [Berlin / deadline 11 June]
Research Assistant, Global Attitudes, Pew Research Center [D.C.]
Global Civic Engagement Coordinator, University of North Carolina [Chapel Hill, NC / deadline 5 June]
Global Policy Coordinator, W.E.B. Du Bois Southern Center for the Study of Public Policy, Clark Atlanta University [deadline 15 June]
Specialist, Collective Action, Basel Institute on Governance [deadline 30 June]
Mid-Term Evaluation for AHEAD Africa, European Partnership for Democracy [deadline 30 June]
Adviser – Policy & Advocacy, PLATFORMA [deadline 6 June]
Policy and Research Manager - Spain, J-PAL Europe [deadline 15 June]
Development & Resource Officer, Forum on Information and Democracy [Paris / deadline 27 June]
COMMS + OPS
Manager or Director, Communications (External Affairs), Data Foundation [Hybrid D.C.]
Media Relations Associate, Roosevelt Institute [Remote]
Writer/Editor, American Association of State Colleges and Universities [D.C.]
Senior Editor, National, ProPublica [NY]
Elections Analyst (Staff Editor), New York Times [NY]
Communications & Digital Director, New Hampshire Senate Democratic Caucus [Concord, NH]
Assistant Director of Communications for Politics, SEIU [Remote / D.C. preferred]
Senior Director of Communications, Research, and Data, Minnesota DFL [priority deadline 13 June]
Senior Communications Specialist, International Center for Not-for-Profit Law [Hybrid D.C.]
Development and Communications Director, Greater Greater Washington [Hybrid D.C.]
Human Resources and Talent Development Coordinator, League of Women Voters [D.C.]
TECH + DATA + DESIGN
Senior Technologist (Director), Partners for Public Good [Remote / deadline 22 June]
Head of Design, Office of Data and Innovation, State of California [deadline 10 June]
Policy and Research Staff Technologist, Electronic Frontier Foundation [Remote / SF]
Principal, Programs (Technology Policy), Omidyar Network [D.C.]
Chief Information Officer, Office of Information Technology, Maryland Department of Labor [deadline 12 June]
Data Journalist, Mid-America Regional Council [Kansas City]
AI Engineering Fellow, ProPublica [deadline 25 June]
Senior Manager, UX, ActBlue [Remote]
Senior Fullstack Engineer, Priorities USA [Remote]
Data Systems Engineer, Working Families Party [Remote]
CONSULTANCIES + INTERNSHIPS + OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Consultancy: FATF and Civic Space Researcher in Francophone Africa, International Center for Not-for-Profit Law [deadline 15 June]
Consultancy: Researching the effects of anti-corruption measures on civic space, International Center for Not-for-Profit Law [deadline 10 June]
Consultant: Senior Specialist, Asset Recovery, Ghana, Basel Institute on Governance [deadline 30 June]
Short-Term Consultancy Opportunity: Beneficial Ownership Transparency in Chile, Open Ownership [deadline 29 June]
INSPIRED Moldova: Call for Proposals | Supporting the Enabling Environment for Civil society and the Democratic Space, European Partnership for Democracy [deadline 12 June]
EGAP Community Experts Roster, Evidence in Governance and Politics [Remote]
Policy Intern, Hopelab [Remote]
Research Intern, Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC [D.C.]
Political Department Intern - Member Programs, SEIU [D.C.]
Civil Affairs Intern: Research, drafting, data collection and Innovation and analysis, United Nations Department of Peace Operations [deadline 10 June]
And lots more opportunities in the last newsletter: Government Works Weekly #37.
EYES & EARS – reading, podcasts, and other good stuff
[UGLY TRUTH] BIG BILL, NOT SO BEAUTIFUL
I already wrote about how bad the “Big Beautiful Bill” is a couple weeks ago, about how it will implode the safety net, explode the debt, and enrich the already rich. The bill has since passed the House and is currently sits with the Senate, so some things bear repeating. If you care about a functioning government that is able to improve the lives of people, there is no way you can support this bill.
As one Nobel prize winning economist writes, it “must surely be the worst piece of legislation in modern U.S. history.” Even the de facto co-POTUS echoed this sentiment, calling the bill a “disgusting abomination.” One long-time policy journalist says, “I cannot remember a more cruel or irresponsible piece of domestic legislation that has been seriously proposed.” But perhaps the best and most pithy explanation I have seen describes it as:
“a transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich, from the young to the old and from the future to the past.”
This bill will:
Pull a reverse Robin Hood by robbing from the poor to give to the rich. “The lowest-income families would suffer significant losses in net income…At the same time, families with higher incomes would experience substantial net gains.”
Make America less-healthy again by kicking millions off their health care. “Nationally, the bill—along with additional Trump administration health changes—would strip nearly 14 million Americans of health insurance coverage by 2034.”
Explode the national debt by borrowing trillions at the expense of future generations. “Specifically, it proposes to cut $1.7 trillion in services––Medicaid ($700 billion), clean energy ($560 billion), education ($350 billion), food stamps ($267 billion), and then borrow the remaining $3.3 trillion – yes, that’s with a “t.””
I spent the first Trump administration in D.C., home of taxation without representation, so I have never personally been a big “Call Your Senator” kind of person. But this one really deserves it. A lifetime ago I manned the phones as an intern for my local Congresswoman, so I can tell you that your voice really does matter here. If you live in a swing district or state with a Senate election coming up next year, be sure to contact your representatives and let them know what you think.
Here are some useful sources if you want to “do your own research”:
“Trump’s Big Budget Bomb,” The Ezra Klein Show, 23 May 2025.
“What a Decent Budget Would Look Like: Imagining a Congress that was neither cruel nor irresponsible,” Paul Krugman, 23 May 2025.
“Elon Musk Blasts Trump Tax Bill as Budget-Busting ‘Abomination’,” Bloomberg, 3 June 2025.
“Who Gains and Who Loses under a Tax Cut Extension with Medicaid and SNAP Spending Reductions,” Urban Institute, 9 May 2025.
“The Devastating Harms of House Republicans’ Big, ‘Beautiful’ Bill by State and Congressional District,” Center for American Progress, 21 May 2025.
“Allocating CBO’s Estimates of Federal Medicaid Spending Reductions and Enrollment Loss Across the States,” KFF, 4 June 2025.
“What the giant House spending bill tells us about Republicans’ vision for America: Why it’s a bad idea to let the guy who bankrupted casinos run your fiscal house, in four charts,” Mischiefs of Factions, 30 May 2025.
“White House vows no Medicaid cuts — except to those who don’t deserve it: Trump aides say those cut from Medicaid as a result of the GOP megabill shouldn’t have had it in the first place,” Politico, 2 June 2025.
“The House Just Passed The Biggest Medicaid Cut in U.S. History, Twice the Size of Reagan's Cuts,” Mike Konczal, 23 May 2025.
“As Congress Debates Cutting Medicaid, a Major Study Shows It Saves Lives: The most extensive research on Medicaid coverage to date found that it reduced the risk of death by 21 percent,” New York Times, 16 May 2025.
“Republicans Will Use Paperwork to Kick Americans Off Health Care,” Pamela Herd and Donald P. Moynihan,” 22 May 2025.
“Medicaid Work Requirements Are Cruel and Pointless,” Matt Bruenig, 16 May 2025.
“Why Gutting SNAP Makes the Economy Worse for Everyone (with Lily Roberts),” Pitchfork Economics, 3 June 2025.
“Attack of the Sadistic Zombies: The GOP budget is incredibly cruel — and that’s the point,” Paul Krugman, 19 May 2025.
“The Big Beautiful Bill goes to Mars: The U.S. is a rich nation willing to let its people die to lower taxes for the wealthy,” Eduardo Porter, 4 June 2025.
More links and resources that unfortunately remain relevant in Government Works Weekly #36, too.
EVENTS – webinars, conferences, and other human things
WEEK OF 8-13 JUNE
8 JUNE: 2025 Chautauqua Forum on Democracy [Chautauqua Institution + Karsh Institute of Democracy]
9 JUNE: Voting in Times of Climate Change: What Extreme Weather Events mean for Electoral Management [International IDEA]
9-10 JUNE: DEMSCORE Conference 2025 [DEMSCORE]
9-11 JUNE: 2025 ESRA Conference [Election Science, Reform, and Administration]
10 JUNE: Impoundments: FY25/FY26 Impacts And Options For Reform [Arnold Ventures]
10 JUNE: Democracy on the Line: How We Got Here and How To Stop an Authoritarian Takeover [CAP]
10 JUNE: The new democratic emergency and what to do about it [Demos]
10 JUNE: Taking Stock: Real-time Reflections on the Public Data and Evidence Ecosystem [Association of Public Data Users]
10 JUNE: How One Municipality Went From a Strained City Hall to a Model of Data-Driven Government [Bloomberg Philanthropies + What Works Cities + Results for America]
10-11 JUNE: TICTeC 2025
10-12 JUNE: Stockholm Conference on Electoral Integrity [International IDEA]
11 JUNE: Profit for Good Conference [Peter Singer + The School for Moral Ambition]
11 JUNE: Cyber Civil Defense Summit [UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity]
11 JUNE: Share Our America: The Summit: How we move from division to a new unity [92NY’s Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact + The Aspen Institute’s Weave: The Social Fabric Project]
11 JUNE: Concentration Camps and the Machinery of Repression: Lessons for Saving Democracy [Ash Center]
11 JUNE: How to Find Your Next Role in Social Impact Tech [Technologists for the Public Good]
11 JUNE: Innovations in Turnout: What Worked—and What Didn’t—in 2024 [Movement Labs + Analyst Institute]
11 JUNE: Immigration, DOGE, and Data Privacy [Center for Democracy & Technology]
12 JUNE: 15th Annual IRS-TPC Joint Research Conference on Tax Administration [Urban Institute]
12 JUNE: AI for Good? Evaluating the Impact of AI in Development [VoxDev + Center for Global Development + J-PAL + The Agency Fund]
12 JUNE: Democracy Conversation: Who Participates—and How Cities Can Strengthen Local Democracy [Local Policy Lab]
12 JUNE: What are the Limits of Executive Power — and Citizen Power — in America? [American Academy of Arts & Sciences]
12 JUNE: Virtual Launch: Our Spring 2025 Issue “Checks and Balances” [Boston Review]
12-13 JUNE: Citizens’ Assembly School [FIDE]
WEEK OF 2-6 JUNE – yeah, yeah, a couple days late
2-5 JUN: Philea Forum 2025 “Power and Equality: A Balancing Act” [Philanthropy Europe Association]
3 JUNE: Building Bridges in a Divided World: One Small Step’s Learn, Practice, Model Approach [The Communications Network]
3 JUNE: The Earned Income Tax Credit at 50: Past, present, and future [Brookings]
3 JUNE: Critical Conversations: The Future of Public Health [National Academy of Public Administration]
3 JUNE: Does the Rule of Law Still Matter in a Second Trump Administration? [Campaign Legal Center]
3-5 JUNE: The 2025 Canadian Political Science Association Annual Conference | IPSA
4 JUNE: Representing Working-Class Voters [Center for American Progress Action Fund]
4 JUNE: Reconciliation: What’s In It—and How the Senate Could Fix It [Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget]
4 JUNE: Everything You Wanted to Know About Tariffs But Were Afraid to Ask [Rural Urban Bridge Initiative]
4 JUNE: The Importance of Medicaid and Why Administration Matters [Rockefeller Institute of Government]
4-5 JUNE: Conference on Capacity Building on AI and Digital Transformation in the Public Sector [UNESCO]
4-6 JUNE: The Future of Democracy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence [Estoril Political Forum]
5 JUNE: Democracy Beyond Elections: Funding Citizens’ Assemblies [Columbia World Projects + New America + FIDE - North America]
5 JUNE: Rent Reporting as a Pathway to Credit Building [Urban Institute]
5 JUNE: Voter Contact Technology Showcase [Higher Ground Labs]
5 JUNE: Sociology of Corruption: Patterns of Illegal Association in Hungary [Basel Institute on Governance]
6 JUNE: Justice on the Ballot? The Impact of Mexico's Judicial Reform on the Rule of Law and Business Environment [CSIS]