Government Works Weekly #59
Jobs, Events, and Thankfulness
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.
Thanks to all the readers and supporters of Government Works. I was curious, so I pulled up the numbers. Subscribers are up 100x since last Thanksgiving … albeit from a baseline I could quite literally count on my fingers and toes … so thank you! If you find this newsletter useful, please consider sharing with a friend or colleague that would also benefit.
Be sure to scroll all the way down for 10 recent podcasts, 23 upcoming events, and 65 new jobs and opportunities to help government work.
EYES & EARS – reading, podcasts, and other good stuff
A FEAST OF PODCASTS
Here are ten recent podcasts with a diversity of interesting viewpoints to accompany you on your long-weekend walks to work off the extra Thanksgiving food. I will serve them up as podcast pairings in four courses, depending on your taste.
Hors d’oeuvre: Who Do We Invite to the Table?
Saving lives with fewer dollars, Planet Money
When evidence meets Washington politics (feat. Dean Karlan), In Pursuit of Development
Salad: Forks on the Left
He Has a Plan for the Left. It Might Involve Overthrowing the Constitution, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat
What’s Left w/ Malcolm Harris, The Dig
The Battle for the Future of the Democratic Party, On the Media
Entrée: Knives on the Right
The Furious Minds of MAGA, Know Your Enemy
Cass Sunstein on Liberalism and Rights in the Age of AI, Conversations with Tyler
Adam Przeworski Asks Who Decides What is Democratic, Democracy Paradox
Dessert: Who Gets the Biggest Slice?
The World and the Earth: Rethinking who has a voice in democracy, DemocracyNext
The new neo-royalist world order, Good Authority
EVENT HORIZON – webinars, conferences, and other human things
WEEK OF 1-5 DECEMBER
1 DEC: Empowering Public Understanding of Public Finances: Steven Pinker [OECD]
1 DEC: Author Talk: Rewiring Democracy [MIT Museum]
2 DEC: TRUSST’s Annual Workshop [Teaching, Researching, and Understanding the Social Science of Trust Lab]
2 DEC: Improving Access to State Tax Credits through Research to Action [Urban Institute]
2 DEC: Human Oversight in AI for Public Benefits [Center for Democracy & Technology]
2 DEC: On the Brink: Trade, Finance and the Reshaping of the Global Economy [UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose]
2 DEC: Strategic Storytelling in the Public Sector [InnovateUS]
2 DEC: The Digital Service Champions Awards [U.S. Digital Response]
2 DEC: Cities After Dark: 24-Hour Governance and the Role of Night Mayors [Bloomberg Center for Cities]
3 DEC: MCF BOOK CLUB: Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World [Marguerite Casey Foundation]
3 DEC: AI in State Government: Balancing Innovation, Efficiency, and Risk [IBM Center for The Business of Government]
3 DEC: Bright Spots in American Democracy [Healthy Democracy + Participatory Budgeting Project]
4 DEC: Growing Needs, Shrinking Aid: Cost-Effective Action in a Year of Funding Cuts [GiveWell]
4 DEC: Forum on Emerging Technologies and Government Modernization [TechCA]
4 DEC: The Hopkins Forum Considers Tech Titans or Tech Tyrants: Should the U.S. Government Break Up Big Tech? [SNF Agora]
4 DEC: North Star Interventions: Using Policy as an Organizing Tool in Our Data Center Fights [AI Now Institute]
4 DEC: Opportunities and challenges in AI regulation [Hamilton Project]
4 DEC: HGL’s 2025 Political Tech Impact Briefing [Higher Ground Labs]
4 DEC: Beyond the Algorithm: From Research to Action for Democratic Renewal [Horizon Europe KT4D, ORBIS, ITHACA and AI4GOV projects]
5 DEC: Anticipating Migration: Methods, Data, and Policy in Forecasting and Foresight [Data & Policy]
5 DEC: Roosevelt Network Winter Policy Expo [Roosevelt Institute]
5 NOV: Building Pathways Out of Intergenerational Poverty in Cities: How Cities Can Create Opportunity and Advance Economic Mobility [Bloomberg Center for Cities + The EdRedesign Lab]
5-6 DEC: Directions of Polarization, Social Norms & Trust in Societies [MIT]
APPLY YOURSELF – jobs, internships, and other ways to get involved
A bit shorter this week because of the holiday in the U.S., but check out last week’s newsletter that had 100 jobs and opportunities.
POLICY + PROGRAM
Director of Regulatory Affairs and Legal Research, Democracy Forward [D.C.]
Counsel, First Amendment and Special Counsel, First Amendment and More, Protect Democracy [Remote]
Advocacy Advisor, Open Society [D.C. / deadline 2 Dec.]
Researcher, RepresentWomen [Remote / D.C. area]
Analyst in Public Finance, Congressional Research Service [D.C. / deadline 26 Dec.]
Policy Advisor, U.S. Climate Alliance [D.C. / Remote]
Director of Organizing Policy and Advocacy, League of Conservation Voters [Remote]
Director, Research & Insights Strategy, Jobs for the Future [priority deadline 11 Dec.]
Citizen Engagement Associate, Issue One [Hybrid / D.C.]
Kenneth Roth Practitioner-In-Residence, Human Rights Watch [Multiple locations / deadline 11 Dec.]
Technology Policy Strategist, Liberty and National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice [NY]
STATE + LOCAL
Tennessee Rural Fellowship Program, Department of Economic and Community Development + Center for Rural Innovation [deadline 19 Jan.]
Strategy Officer, Office of the Governor, State of Colorado [deadline 5 Dec.]
Idaho Director of Public Policy, Alzheimer’s Association [Boise]
US Program Coordinator (Rx Kids) and US Program Manager (Rx Kids), GiveDirectly [Michigan]
Associate State Legislative Representative, Northeast Regional Office and State Legislative Representative, Midwest Regional Office, Earthjustice [NY / IL]
Various Jobs, Bay Area Air District [CA]
States Support Analyst and Georgia State Director and More, America Votes
COMMS + OPS + MEDIA
Associate, Operations & Planning, What Works Cities (and more), Results for America [D.C.]
Procurement Specialist, U.S. Digital Response [Remote]
Deputy Chief of Staff, The Rockefeller Foundation [D.C.]
Vice President, Catalytic Finance, The Rockefeller Foundation [NYC]
Executive Director, America Is All In [Remote / via Grossman Solutions]
Administrative Assistant, Democracy, Third Plateau [deadline 3 Dec.]
Producer, News & Politics, Crooked Media [Los Angeles]
Executive Assistant and Legal Assistant/Coordinator, Project Corazon and More, Lawyers for Good Government [Remote]
Communications & Media Lead, Fight Inequality Alliance [Remote / deadline 5 Dec.]
ACADEMIA
Data Scientist, Opportunity Insights [Harvard]
Associate Director, Technology and Democracy Research Hub, Rutgers Democracy Lab, Eagleton Institute of Politics [Rutgers]
Assistant Director, Berkley Institute for Civil Discourse and Civic Solutions [NYU]
External Relations Specialist, Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities [University of Notre Dame / deadline 30 Nov.]
Assistant Professor of Blue Economy & Policy, University of Delaware [review begins 1 Dec.]
Assistant Professor in AI Policy and Media, College of Arts, Media and Design [Northeastern University]
Senior Director, Programs, Miller Center for Global Impact [Santa Clara University]
Assistant Senior Lecturer in Public Administration, University of Gothenburg [deadline 26 Jan.]
INTERNATIONAL
Senior Analyst, Global Order and Peacemaking (Global Issues and Institutions), International Crisis Group [Hybrid / Kenya, South Africa, Turkey, Colombia, Canada, U.S., UK, Belgium, or Mexico / deadline 10 Dec.]
Head of Operations, Good Food Institute APAC [Singapore preferred / deadline 10 Dec.]
Senior Manager, Programs, GiveDirectly [Nairobi, Kenya]
Senior Specialist, Financial Investigations, Basel Institute on Governance [Mozambique / deadline 5 Dec.]
Human Rights Officer, European Network of National Human Rights Institutions [deadline 1 Dec.]
Chief of Staff, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [London / deadline 30 Nov.]
Junior Analyst/Analyst, Economics, Climate Policy Initiative [Rio de Janeiro]
Policy Manager, AI for Social Good and Senior Policy Manager - ASPIRE, J-PAL South Asia [India]
Partnerships Manager, The Institute for Government [UK / deadline 8 Dec.]
Legal & Policy Officer, MENA Region, Human Rights Foundation [NY]
Communications and Campaigns Lead, Comms Hub [Remote EU / deadline 12 Dec.]
INTERNSHIPS + FELLOWSHIPS
2026-2027 Digital Communications Congressional Fellowship Program, Center for Economic and Policy Research [deadline 8 Dec.]
Call for Fellowship Applications, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University [deadline 5 Dec.]
Creative and civic practice intern (Spring 2026), Public Servants [Remote]
Oslo Freedom Forum Research Intern, Human Rights Foundation [NY]
Various Spring and Summer Internships, Brennan Center
CONSULTANCIES + OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Nominate an Anti-Crime and Corruption Hero, OCCRP [deadline 30 Nov.]
Call for Nominations: Government Champions 250, Local Gov 250 + National Academy of Public Administration [deadline 15 Dec.]
[Deadline extended] Call for Applications: Climate Democracy Accelerator (CDA), Democratic Innovations Accelerator (DIA), and Rising Stars Mentorship, People Powered [deadline 8 Dec.]
Volunteer User Researchers, U.S. Digital Response [Bilingual English / Spanish]
Call for Papers: Designing Democratic Innovation: Co-Design and the Futures of Participation in Governance, CoDesign Journal [Abstract deadline 20 Mar.]
Request for Proposals: Consultancy opportunity: Developing EITI guidance materials on transition minerals governance, Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative [deadline 11 Dec.]
Call for Expressions of Interest: Help Build the First Pan-European Local Quality of Government (LoQoG) Dataset, Quality of Government Institute [deadline 1 Feb.]
Call for Letters of Interest: Local and Regional Leaders to Participate in Commission on Learning Ecosystems, New America [deadline 15 Dec.]
And lots more opportunities in the last newsletter: Government Works Weekly #58.