Government Works Weekly #64

Jobs, Events, and Better Days

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.

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Intermittent electricity and internet this afternoon, but I was able to scrounge something together here. Scroll down all the way for 20 upcoming events and 116 jobs and opportunities to help government work…

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EYES & EARS – reading, podcasts, and other good stuff

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Regarding Minnesota, I don’t have much to add on top of what is already out there. I have found pieces that situate the events on the ground in the broader context of history or political philosophy to be the most helpful (and hopeful). So I will share a few:

“Minneapolis May Be Trump’s Gettysburg,” Jamelle Bouie, NYT, 28 January 2026.

“Homeland Empire: From Venezuela to Minnesota, Trump is creating a borderless American power, collapsing the foreign and the domestic into a single domain of impunity,” Nikhil Pal Singh, Equator, 14 January 2026. Singh was also interviewed about this article on a recent episode of the Politics Theory Other podcast if you would rather engage your ears. Stay tuned for the closing thoughts (of the article or podcast), which are more hopeful that the title might suggest.

“Enforcement Regime: Immigration hardliners in the US state,” Michael Macher, Phenomenal World, 9 January 2026.

“ICE Violence and the Struggle to Make Meaning: What Narrative Power Is Doing in Minnesota, and Beyond,” Eleonore Wesserle, The Horizons Project’s Substack, 28 January 2026.

“Power Is Never Given. Only Taken,” Barbara F. Walter, Here Be Dragons, 29 January 2026.

“Change seems impossible until it doesn’t,” Julia Azari, Good Politics/Bad Politics, 26 January 2026.

Eliminating ICE and CBP will be the easy part; shaping a new conversation about immigration, state power, and rule of law – in a fearful and divided nation – will be much more difficult. But if we’ve learned anything in the past month, from the suffering in Minnesota, it’s that this is not sustainable and there’s no going back to a pre-MAGA politics. And if we’ve learned anything from our own history, it’s that the risky and impossible path has more promise than it initially seems.

EVENT HORIZON – webinars, conferences, and other human things

WEEK OF 2-6 FEBRUARY 2026

• 2 FEB: How do Public Sector Innovators Dream of New Futures? [Public Policy Lab]

• 2 FEB: From Expertise to Impact: A Practical Guide to Informing and Influencing Policy [InnovateUS]

• 2 FEB: Reporting on Power and Policy: A conversation with the 2025 Nyhan Prize Honorees [Harvard Kennedy School]

• 2 FEB: Creating high-opportunity neighborhoods: Lessons from HOPE VI [Brookings]

• 3 FEB: Explaining Public Service: Strategies for Clear, Credible Communication [InnovateUS]

• 3 FEB: DRH-NCDD Training: Facilitating Shared Sensemaking in Complexity [National Coalition For Dialogue & Deliberation]

• 3 FEB: From Division to Action: Build Trust, Bridge Divides, and Engage Your Community [ComNet]

• 3 FEB: Using Data to Drive Outcomes with AI: Beyond 12’s Data-Driven Approach to Using AI for Impact [Project Evident]

• 3 FEB: Launch of GovLab OKC

• 4 FEB: AI and the Planet: Can Democracy Survive AI? [RSA Fellowship]

• 4 FEB: CEPR Media Plurality Webinar Series: Generative AI and Trust in the Media: Evidence from a Large-Scale Field Experiment [Centre for Economic Policy Research]

• 4 FEB: Reining in DHS and Restoring Accountability [CAP]

• 4 FEB: The FAR and Beyond: A New Era in Government Acquisition [CSIS]

• 4 FEB: Q&A with Rutger Bregman: The Reith Lectures Edition [The School for Moral Ambition]

• 4 FEB: Buying AI: trends and tips for 2026 [GW Law Government Procurement + Open Contracting Partnership + United States Digital Response]

• 5 FEB: Pathways to reduce child poverty: Impacts of federal tax credits [Brookings]

• 5 FEB: Global Election Day: Election Security [National Academy of Public Administration + Brennan Center for Justice]

• 5 FEB: Civic Assembly Exploration Event for Community Colleges [Campus Compact]

• 5 FEB: Using leaked and sensitive data to research illicit finance [Centre for the Study of Corruption]

• 5 FEB: Assessing the Impacts of AI in the Public Sector: Practical Examples from Civil Society and Government [Open Government Partnership]

APPLY YOURSELF – jobs, internships, and other ways to get involved

POLICY + PROGRAM

• Multiple Positions, Partners for Public Good [deadline 13 Feb.]

• Program Officer for American Institutions, Society, and the Public Good, American Academy of Arts & Sciences [D.C. or Cambridge, MA]

• Senior Manager, Government Capacity and Manager, Government Affairs and Senior Manager, AI Safety and Security Policy and Legal Analyst, Climate and Environment, Federation of American Scientists [D.C.]

• Policy Analyst, The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology [D.C.]

• Research Assistant/Policy Analyst, Security and Foreign Affairs, U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission [D.C. / deadline 20 Feb.]

• Chief Counsel, Demand Justice [Hybrid D.C.]

• Policy Analyst, PPFA [NY / D.C.]

• Senior Manager, Immigration, More in Common [D.C.]

• Education Initiatives Manager, Center for Disaster Philanthropy [deadline 6 Feb.]

• Washington Representative (Clean Transportation), Union of Concerned Scientists [Remote / D.C.]

• Research Analyst, Advocacy and Outreach and More, Center for America Progress [D.C.]

• Associate Director of Program Implementation, Constructive Dialogue Institute [Remote]

• Senior Policy Specialist, Mercy for Animals [Remote]

• Director of Advocacy, International Rescue Committee [Hybrid / D.C. / Silver Spring, MD]

STATE + LOCAL

• Program Officer, Governor’s Office of Foundation Liaison [Michigan / deadline 9 Feb.]

• State Directors, PPFA [AR / GA / LA / OK]

• Lead Associate, Public Partnerships, Save the Children

• Policy Director, California Competes [deadline 9 Feb.]

• Policy Associate, California, The Nature Conservancy [Sacramento]

• Policy Analyst and Communications Manager, Voices for Virginia’s Children

• Inspector General, City of Chicago [deadline 6 Feb.]

• Human Services Program Administrator, City of Alexandria [deadline 1 Feb.]

• i-team Director (Innovation Team, Pittsburgh), Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University [Pittsburgh, PA]

• i-team Director (Innovation Team, Hampton), Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University [Hampton, VA]

• Creative Director, New York City Department of Transportation [NYC]

COMMS + OPS

• Director of Digital Campaigns, Popular Democracy [Remote]

• Citizen Engagement Digital Manager, Issue One [Hybrid D.C.]

• Director of Communications, Demand Justice

• Audience Engagement Contractor, Barn Raiser [Part-time]

• Communications & Policy Assistant, Hopelab [Remote]

• Director of Public Relations, Elemental Impact

• Senior Communications Director, Climate Cabinet [Chicago]

• Digital Director, NextGen America [Remote]

• Content and Digital Communications Lead, Center for Security and Emerging Technology [Georgetown University / deadline 14 Mar.]

• Director of Audience Growth, Democracy Docket [Jersey City, NJ]

• President & Chief Executive Officer, Southern Poverty Law Center [Montgomery, AL or Atlanta, GA]

• Senior Development Director, Vote Mama [Remote]

• Manager, Payroll and Benefits, Federation of American Scientists [D.C.]

• Vice President, Philanthropy and Philanthropy Operations Manager, Issue One [D.C. / Hybrid]

• Finance and Accounting Associate, Project Evident [Boston, MA]

• PAC Assistant, Americans for Responsible Innovation [D.C.]

• Director of Special Projects and More, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget [D.C.]

• Program Planning & Operations Director, Unite America

• Senior Director of Finance & Operations, Heartland Fund

ACADEMIA

• Senior Director, City Talent and Student Engagement, Bloomberg Center for Cities [Cambridge, MA]

• Policy Analyst, Latino Policy & Politics Institute [UCLA]

• State Policy Associate, Lab for Economic Opportunities [University of Notre Dame]

• 2026 C. Lowell Harriss Dissertation Fellowship Program, Lincoln Institute [deadline 2 Mar.]

• Executive Director, Center for Journalism and Democracy [Howard University]

• Dean, Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions [Arizona State University]

• Project Manager, Reimagining the Economy Project [Harvard University]

• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Reimagining the Economy Project [Harvard University]

• Predoctoral Research Fellows, Reimagining the Economy Project [Harvard University]

TECH + DATA + DESIGN

• Research Data Specialist II, California Department of Social Services [deadline 6 Feb.]

• Senior Software Engineer, OneWA, Legislative Service Center, Washington State Legislature [Olympia, WA]

• Digital Opportunity Specialist, City of Bloomington [Indiana / deadline 9 Feb.]

• Director, Office of the Chief Innovation Officer, Ford Foundation [NY / deadline 12 Feb.]

• Associate Director, OutcomesAI, Project Evident [Boston, MA]

• Deputy Polling and Modeling Director, DCCC [D.C.]

• Impact Evaluation Consultant, Data Analyst and Statistical Modelling Consultant, Data and Analytics, UNICEF [Remote]

• Data Analyst, Media Relations, Global Fishing Watch [deadline 9 Feb.]

• Data Training and Technical Assistance Specialist, ZERO TO THREE [Remote]

• Lead Full-Stack Engineer, Constructive Dialogue Institute [Remote]

• Climate Data Analyst, International Rescue Committee [Hybrid / London / Nairobi]

INTERNATIONAL

• Policy Lead, J-PAL Global [Hybrid / Cambridge, MA]

• Representative to the UN and Director for Humanitarian Diplomacy, Center for Civilians in Conflict [NY]

• Senior Director, Africa, National Endowment for Democracy [D.C.]

• International Policy Manager, Cascade Climate [D.C.]

• Policy Advisor, Natural Resource Justice Global Program, Oxfam [D.C.]

• Program Manager, Global Groups, Center for Effective Altruism [Remote]

• Country Operations Associate for Latin America and the Caribbean, Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure [deadline 4 Feb.]

• Project Officer, Department for Effective Public Management, Organization of American States [D.C.]

• VP of Education, VélezReyes+ [LATAM]

• Interim Development Manager (Consultancy), International Budget Partnership [Remote]

• Deputy Director, Network of European Foundations [Brussels]

• Research Roles (Short-term), OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights [Warsaw]

• Senior Country Economist, International Growth Centre [Jordan / deadline 22 Feb.]

• Country Lead (Malaysia), Maritime Anti-Corruption Network

INTERNSHIPS + FELLOWSHIPS

• Summer 2026, Research Internship, Brown Center on Education Policy, Governance Studies, Brookings Institution [D.C.]

• Summer 2026, Transportation Policy Research Internship, Brookings Metro, Brookings Institution [D.C.]

• Summer 2026, Center for Technology Innovation Internship, Governance Studies, Brookings Institution [D.C.]

• Summer 2026, Communications Internship, Governance Studies, Brookings Institution [D.C.]

• Summer 2026, Center for Effective Public Management Internship, Governance Studies, Brookings Institution [D.C.]

• Summer 2026, American Congress & Government Internship, Governance Studies, Brookings Institution [D.C.]

• Summer 2026, Research Internship, Center on Health Policy, Economic Studies, Brookings Institution [D.C.]

• Summer 2026, Research Internship, Tax Policy Center, Economic Studies, Brookings Institution [D.C.]

• Summer 2026, Research Internship, The Hamilton Project, Economic Studies, Brookings Institution [D.C.]

• Intern, Public Policy Lab [deadline 23 Feb.]

• Congressional Champions Campaign Intern, LCV [D.C.]

• Law Clerk, LCV [Remote]

• Senior Fellow, Government Efficiency and Effectiveness, Foundation for American Innovation

• Citizen Engagement Fellow, Issue One [D.C. / Hybrid]

• Graduate Fellow, Winter/Spring 2026, Data Foundation [deadline 31 Jan.]

• Global Policy Fellowship Program, Instituto de Tecnologia e Sociedade [deadline 30 Jan.]

• Global Democracy Fellowship, The Presidential Precinct [deadline 9 Feb.]

• Science Fellow, Union of Concerned Scientists [Western States]

• State Engagement Fellowship, UC Berkeley Possibility Lab [deadline 15 Feb.]

• Senior Fellow, Foreign Development Assistance, Center for American Progress [

CONSULTANCIES + OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

• Multiple Consultancies, Institute for Responsive Government [Remote]

• Terms of Reference (TOR): Regional Support Mechanism Implementing Partner’s Expenditure Verification Assessment, CIVICUS [deadline 15 Feb.]

• Terms of Reference (ToR): Action for a Holistic Electoral Approach for Democracy (AHEAD) Project, Democracy Reporting International [deadline 8 Feb.]

• RFP: Election Contingency Scenarios for Program Strategy, Public Rights Project [deadline 1 Mar.]

• Application Form: Transit Narrative Change Lab, TransitCenter, in collaboration with the Climate and Community Institute [deadline 9 Feb.]

• Call for Applications, UN Global Pulse Accelerator [deadline 11 Feb.]

• 2026 Summer School in International Survey Methods, Vanderbilt University [deadline 9 Feb.]

• Call for jury members for the 20th “Best Practice in Citizen Participation” Award, OIDP [deadline 27 Feb.]

• Call for consultants: Research on how political parties address Violence against Women in Politics, Westminster Foundation for Democracy [deadline 1 Feb.]

• Open Position: Chair of the Board, Demos [deadline 20 Mar.]

• Online Course: International Development Challenges: Reclaiming Development through Agency, Collaboration, and Inclusion, Governance Action Hub [starts 2 Feb.]

• Request for Applications: Eviction Data Response Network 2026, New America [deadline 3 Mar.]

And lots more in the last newsletter: Government Works Weekly #63.