Government Works Weekly #24
Jobs, Events, and Post-Election Podcast Roundup
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.
APPLY YOURSELF – jobs, internships, funding, and other ways to get involved
Director of Strategy and Culture, CIRCLE (and more), Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, Tufts University [Hybrid / Medford, MA]
Policy Analyst, Directorate for Public Governance, OECD [Paris / deadline 24 Dec.]
Programme Coordinator for Public Sector Innovation, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose [Hybrid London / deadline 16 Dec.]
Director's Chief Of Staff, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose [Hybrid London / deadline 7 Dec.]
Senior Policy Adviser, Global Engagement, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose [Hybrid London / deadline 11 Dec.]
Senior Research, Education & Training Associate (and more), J-PAL Global [U.S.]
Director, Digital Media (and more), Bipartisan Policy Center [D.C.]
Program Assistant (Communications and Outreach), International Forum for Democratic Studies (IFDS) (and more), National Endowment for Democracy [Hybrid D.C.]
Communications Associate, Media Engagement (and more), Protect Democracy [Remote]
Executive Assistant, Office of the President (and more), Democracy Fund [D.C.]
Senior Analyst, Impact Evaluation (and more), Power for Democracies [Remote, hybrid, or Berlin]
Intern (Summer 2025), Effective Institutions Project [Remote / deadline 15 Dec.]
Event Manager, Roots of Progress [Remote]
Political & Legislative Advocacy Apprentice, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees [Los Angeles]
Reimagining Democracy Visiting Fellowship, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation [Harvard / deadline 10 Jan.]
2025 Oversight Fellowship, Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy [deadline 31 Jan.]
Gender Based Violence in Politics Consultant, Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy [deadline 12 Dec.]
Programme Assistant, European Partnership for Democracy [Brussels / deadline 8 Dec.]
These are all new opportunities. For other recent opportunities, see last week’s mega jobs roundup (Saturday 23 November 2024) or follow our new LinkedIn page.
Or you could check out The Volker Alliance’s new resource, the Gov-Ramps Aggregator, “an open-source database of internships, fellowships, and other entry-level career opportunities local, state, and federal government.” And of course, please share with any friends or colleagues looking for new opportunities.
UPCOMING EVENTS – webinars, conferences, and other human things
To help make sense of recent events, check out these upcoming events.
THIS WEEK: 2-6 DEC.
2 DEC: Policy Dialogue on Elections in Africa hosted by UNDP and International IDEA
3 DEC: What Comes Next? A Post-Election Discussion [Boston Review]
3 DEC: Legislating for company ownership transparency: regional perspectives [Open Ownership]
3 DEC: Toward a potential grand bargain for the nation [Brookings + American Enterprise Institute]
3 DEC: Rethinking growth: making economies work for the common good – IDS Annual Lecture with Mariana Mazzucato [Institute of Development Studies]
3-6 DEC: Open Americas/America Abierta [Open Government Partnership]
4 DEC: FormFest 2024: Better government, one form at a time [Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation and Code for America]
4 DEC: The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profits and Socializes Costs [Bloomberg Center for Cities]
4 DEC: Future Public Services Summit [Demos]
4 DEC: Post-Truth, Fake News and Democracy: Mapping the Politics of Falsehood [Institute for Rebooting Social Media]
4 DEC: Stolen Pride in Kentucky with Arlie Hochschild [Rural Urban Bridge Initiative]
4 DEC: Achieving Civil Justice [American Academy of Arts & Sciences]
4 DEC: Democracy’s next act: How to build resilience around the world [Brookings]
5 DEC: 2024 Democracy Forum [Obama Foundation]
5 DEC: Stockholm Series #4: Defending democracy, safeguarding our planet - A dual imperative and how to win it [International IDEA]
5 DEC: Webinar: The Global Impact of the United States Election [ASH Center]
5 DEC: Smart City, Smarter Citizens with Dr. San-Cheng Chang, Mayor of Taoyuan [Rebooting Democracy in the Age of AI Lecture Series]
6 DEC: Forging the European Democracy Shield [International IDEA + European Partnership for Democracy]
CLOSING OUT THE YEAR
9 DEC: Driving Cross-Government Innovation: Lessons Learned from the Tribal CX Pilot Team [Partnership for Public Service]
10 DEC: National Conference on Citizenship 2024 - Renewing Civic Health
10 DEC: Decisionmaking in collaborative research and action [Brookings]
10 DEC: CX Workshop [Nextgov/FCW + Route Fifty]
10 DEC: Funder call on countering elected authoritarianism [TAI + Keseb]
10 DEC: TOPC Fireside Chat: Sustainability in design & practise [Centre for Public Impact]
11 DEC: Open Government Federal Advisory Committee Meeting [General Services Administration]
11-13 DEC: State Innovation Exchange National Conference 2024
12 DEC: The future of election reform [Brookings]
12 DEC: Do We Need a Multiparty System? [NYU Brademas Center + the Brennan Center for Justice]
12 DEC: Democracy Preservation Cause Area Group - Presentation by iCivics on Funding Civics Education [Effective Altruism DC]
12 DEC: Federal Communicators Series— Communicating Through Change and Leading with Resilience [Partnership for Public Service]
13 DEC: ROMPER: The RAND/USC OPTIC Method for Policy Expert Ratings [RAND]
17 DEC: Joy to the (Civic) World: The Role of Fun & Joy in Civic Life [Democracy Notes + Connective Tissue]
17 DEC: Bridging the Talent Gap: Recruiting and Integrating Tech Talent in Government [InnovateUS]
18 DEC: Online Book Talk—The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley [ASH Center]
18 DEC: An Afternoon of Missions in Action [IIPP’s Mission-Oriented Innovation Network]
EYES & EARS – reading, podcasts, videos, and other good stuff
Here are a few thoughtful podcasts that I found helpful for reflecting on last month’s election, with a select smattering of excerpts where appropriate. A good mix of normie and leftie takes. A common thread is the need to not react hastily, to be curious, and to listen:
“In This House, We’re Angry When Government Fails,” The Ezra Klein Show, 22 Nov. – Klein talks with Steven Teles and Jennifer Pahlka. One key idea is that if you want to be the party of institutions, you have to have institutions that work. As Klein wrote in his intro, which has been making the rounds:
“In this house, on this podcast, we believe government should deliver fast, affordably, reliably. We believe institutions should work. They should build trust rather than spending it.”
“Jon Stewart on the Divide Between Dems and the Working Class with Sarah Smarsh,” The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart, 14 Nov. – Stewart interviews Sarah Smarsh, author of “Bone of the Bone: Essays on America by a Daughter of the Working Class.” They discuss class as a neglected identity. One theory floated by Stewart echoes some of the institutional arguments made in the Klein podcast above:
“But at its core, my feeling about the election is there is a broad swath across gender, race, class, religion that believe that government is no longer particularly responsive to the needs of the people. And if your message is this election is about saving this system, But even amongst these wide variety of groups, people feel that the system is not particularly has any efficacy.”
“MAGA 2.0 w/ Quinn Slobodian & Wendy Brown,” The Dig, 29 Nov. – Host Daniel Denvir interviews Slobodian and Brown about possible directions of Trump’s second administration given various competing visions under the MAGA umbrella. Brown raises a particularly interesting discussion about how the role of the state and its institutions are in contention within the new administration and how lasting those consequences might be.
“Chris Hayes on the New Trump Coalition, and What Democrats Do Next,” The Political Scene | The New Yorker, 13 Nov. – Guest host Andrew Marantz speaks with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes about, among other things, “second Trump Administration might dramatically reshape the foundations of the federal government for decades to come.”
“The Saint,” Unclear and Present Danger, 10 Nov. – This episode of the movie podcast hosted by Jamelle Bouie and John Ganz was recorded shortly after the election. Ostensibly about the 1997 action thriller, the discussion quickly evolves into a reflection on the election and how two of my favorite contemporary political writers will consider the work going forward.
“Trump's Triumph (w/ Ian Ward),” Know Your Enemy, 8 Nov. – Hosts Matthew Sitman and Sam Adler-Bell speak with Politico journalist Ian Ward about the possible shape of the Trump administration.
“Get These Incels to Work” (feat. Hasan Piker),” Pod Save America, 27 Nov. – Host Jon Lovett talks to the popular left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, often mentioned in the same breath as the need for a liberal Joe Rogan.