Government Works Weekly #70
Jobs, Events, and Hands-Free Listening
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 friends or colleagues who would also benefit.
Scroll down all the way for 22 upcoming events and 95 jobs and opportunities to help government work…
EYES & EARS – readings, podcasts, and other good stuff
NEW WORK FROM GOVERNMENT WORKS READERS
Putting out a new project is an act of faith. For the first 8-9 issues of this newsletter I am pretty sure I had literally 1 subscriber (just me!). It took a ton of time to find the right audience, and I am very grateful to all the folks following now. So I want to pay it forward by highlighting new projects from subscribers to the newsletter. Here are two:
DATA FOR THE PEOPLE!: The Data Foundation has launched a new podcast, Data for the People!, hosted by J.B. Wogan, a former staff writer from Governing magazine. Each episode features conversations with leaders from the public and private sectors about the invisible data infrastructure that powers daily life for Americans and the policy changes in Washington that could enable—or limit—its use. A recent episode explored survey findings about how Americans think about and use federal statistics, with insights about declining public trust in institutions, including science and government.
TRY REDLINE: Charlie Gottlieb is a public policy professional with a background in journalism and political science. He’s building Redline, a side project that stress-tests political messaging, op-eds, and general written content for vulnerabilities before publication. You paste in a statement, select the distribution channel, and it maps how opponents, media, and aligned critics would respond to it. Charlie’s looking for feedback from people who work with political language, advocacy messaging, or really anyone who produces content with a purpose!
This section is new and experimental, inspired by a reader interaction earlier this week when I had the reward of seeing someone independently recommend this Substack in the chat of a webinar I was attending. (Thanks, Carmen!) Putting this newsletter together and shooting it out into the ether can be a fairly solitary thing, so it is awesome when I see my work out there in the wild—and even better when I can be in conversation with other folks that are doing great work to help government work.
If you have some new project, initiative, event, research, report, blog, whatever, please pitch it. If it aligns to the editorial direction of this newsletter, I would be happy to share it when I have the appropriate space.
PODCAST PAIRINGS
No need to break out the world’s tiniest violin, but the lady who usually helps us around the house was on vacation this week, so I spent more time elbow deep in dishes and laundry than at the keyboard the last couple of days. And I honestly forget how I used to do chores before podcasts.
So this week, I am bringing back an old segment from the newsletter, PODCAST PAIRINGS, where I match written works with recent podcasts to give you options for either your eyes or your ears, depending on what kind of week you are having.
ON THE BALL
In the last issue, I shared a good piece by Henry Farrell on the battle between Anthropic and DOD. This week, I would like to share more about that fight with another good piece by Dean Ball. He starts with a lovely reflection on his father’s passing, transitions to a lament about our dying democracy, and concludes with a poignant analysis of the stakes of the Anthropic fight. The considered analysis bears additional weight considering Ball, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation, was previously the Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology in Trump’s White House.
It is no surprise, then, that the Abundance Bros Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson both got him on their respective podcasts this week. It is well worth your time to hear them toss around new ideas with Ball.
[READ] Clawed: On Anthropic and the Department of War, Dean W. Ball, Hyperdimensional, 2 March 2026.
[LISTEN / READ / WATCH] Why the Pentagon Wants to Destroy Anthropic, The Ezra Klein Show, 6 March 2026.
[LISTEN] American Democracy as We Know It Might Not Survive This Technology, Plain English With Derek Thompson, 9 March 2026.
PRO CURES
I have never added it up, but I would wager that Don Moynihan is right up there—alongside MS NOW watching auntie whisperer Ezra Klein himself—among my most cited sources in this newsletter. Moynihan is a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan who has done great work on administrative burdens and other issues. But for the Substack audience, he is probably better known as the force behind the absolutely vital Can We Still Govern? ‘Stack, which does a superb job translating the stakes of arcane academic and policy issues for a general audience. This week, Moynihan had a piece tying the Anthropic fight to the normally more nerdy topics of government procurement and state capacity. Check it out.
For its aural pairing, I am recommending a recent episode of Patrick McKenzie’s Complex Systems podcast on government procurement. His guest, Luke Farrell, is a (recently announced!) senior advisor to the Mamdani administration and a former tech official in the Biden White House, so he also provides an interesting complement to the Ball piece above. Plus, Farrell had a post a couple months ago introducing me to the excellent turn of phrase “Means-Testing Industrial Complex” in the aforementioned Can We Still Govern? Substack, which is discussed at length in the pod. So pairings galore.
[READ] Procurement, Capacity and Sovereignty: When your contractors are also your enemy, Don Moynihan, Can We Still Govern?, 9 March 2026.
[LISTEN] Understanding government procurement, with Luke Farrell, Complex Systems with Patrick McKenzie, 26 February 2026.
[READ] The Means-Testing Industrial Complex: The vendors getting rich from putting administrative burdens on the poor, Luke Farrell, Can We Still Govern?, 29 January 2026.
ADDS UP
A recent episode of the Economic Innovation Group’s The New Bazaar podcast tackles zero-sum thinking. Host Cardiff Garcia interviewed Stefanie Stantcheva about her research paper (with co-authors Sahil Chinoy, Nathan Nunn, and Sandra Sequeira). The findings are fascinating and at times counter-intuitive. From the abstract:
“We find that a more zero-sum mindset is strongly associated with more support for government redistribution, race- and gender-based affirmative action, and more restrictive immigration policies. Zero-sum thinking can be traced back to the experiences of both the individual and their ancestors, encompassing factors such as the degree of intergenerational upward mobility they experienced, whether they immigrated to the United States or lived in a location with more immigrants, and whether they were enslaved or lived in a location with more enslavement.”
[READ] Zero-Sum Thinking and the Roots of US Political Differences, American Economic Review, March 2026.
[LISTEN] The Roots of our Zero-Sum Moment, The New Bazaar, 9 March 2026.
THE BOYS ON BRAZIL
In another one for the MS NOW resistance lib retirees in your life, Chris Hayes’ excellent podcast hosted Zack Beauchamp, a reporter for Vox writing on authoritarianism and the right wing, among other issues. They discussed Beauchamp’s recent piece on Brazil, part of a Vox series called “America After Trump: How democracies fall — and how they can come back.”
And for a bonus, check out Beauchamp again on today's episode of his Vox compatriot’s podcast, The Gray Area with Sean Illing, as well as a nice write up of the series in Protect Democracy’s super If you can keep it Substack.
[LISTEN / WATCH] Discussing Trump’s Power Grab and How to Stop Dictators with Chris Hayes and Zack Beauchamp, “Why is This Happening?” The Chris Hayes Podcast, 10 March 2026.
[READ] How one country stopped a Trump-style authoritarian in his tracks: What Brazil got right that America got wrong, Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 18 February 2026.
[LISTEN / WATCH] The end of world order as we know it, The Gray Area with Sean Illing, 13 March 2026.
[READ] America after Trump: How democracies fall — and how they can come back, Ben Raderstorf, If you can keep it, 27 February 2026.
EVENT HORIZON – webinars, conferences, and other human things
WEEK OF 16-20 MARCH 2026
16-17 MAR: EU Tax Symposium 2026 [European Parliament + European Commission]
16-18 MAR: 2026 Congressional City Conference [National League of Cities]
16 MAR: Risks, Prospects, and Paths Forward for Freedom in Iran [Freedom House]
16 MAR: Navigating the Partisan Divide [NAPA]
16 MAR: Transforming Public Governance Institutions Working Group Meeting [NAPA]
17 MAR: Updating the True Cost of Economic Security: What It Takes to Thrive in the US [Urban Institute]
17 MAR: Trust in Flux: Communicating in a Skeptical Era [Frameworks]
17 MAR: State of the States 2026: An Update of State and Private Sector Progress to Close the Access Gap [Georgetown University’s Center for Retirement Initiatives]
18 MAR: The Public Option: Rethinking AI Infrastructure for the Common Good [InnovateUS]
18 MAR: FedSupport Webinar: Federal Worker Town Hall [Partnership for Public Service]
18 MAR: America’s Housing Crunch: What the Evidence Says [RAND]
18 MAR: How to Launch an Impactful Data-Driven Project [Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence]
18 MAR: The Future of Economic Support: Cash, Credits, & Family Prosperity, Featuring Aisha Nyandoro [Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality]
18 MAR: Current Trends in State-Tribal Relations [ASPA]
19 MAR: Integrating Feedback Loops and Iteration in Policy Implementation [InnovateUS]
19 MAR: Leveraging Data to Strengthen Alternative Response Programs [Government Performance Lab]
19 MAR: Demo Day: Piloting a Form-Filling Assistant [Nava]
19 MAR: WFA x USDR Tech Talent Workshop (for public hiring leaders) [Work for America + U.S. Digital Response]
19 MAR: Municipal Groceries Start Here: From Concept to Ownership Models [Local Progress]
19 MAR: REPORT LAUNCH: Freedom in the World 2026 [Freedom House]
20 MAR: Take Action: How to Write a Public Comment on Federal Data [dataindex]
20-24 MAR: ASPA’s 2026 Annual Conference [American Society for Public Administration]
APPLY YOURSELF – jobs, internships, and other ways to get involved
POLICY + PROGRAM
Program Officer, Policy, Commonwealth Fund [D.C.]
Policy and Research Analyst (Evidence Policy), Data Foundation [deadline 3 Apr.]
Policy Advisor, Aspen Institute’s Policy Academy
Project Manager, Economy Campaigns, The Hub Project [D.C.]
Political Associate, Foreign Policy for America [D.C.]
Legal Assistant and More, States United Democracy Center [Remote]
Attorney, Voting Rights Project, ACLU [Hybrid / NYC or D.C.]
Senior Campaign Strategist, Democracy, ACLU [Hybrid / D.C.]
Senior Campaign Lead, Redistricting, ACLU [Hybrid / D.C.]
Senior Policy Associate, Verified Voting [deadline 19 Mar.]
Policy Associate, National Urban League [D.C.]
Research Reporter, USPFT, Freedom of the Press Foundation [Brooklyn or Remote]
Strategist, Harmony Labs [Remote]
Deputy Chief Of Programs, Community Change [Remote]
US Policy Team Member (two roles), Future of Life Institute [D.C.]
Coordinator, Legislative Affairs and Global Advocacy and More, PPFA [D.C.]
Deputy Policy Director, Power Sector and Policy Director, Transportation and Vice President, Policy, Evergreen Action [Remote]
Senior Program Strategy Manager, Political Engagement, Pivotal [D.C.]
Legislative Affairs Specialist and More, AFSCME - American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees
STATE + LOCAL
Senior Advisor, Mayor’s Office of State Legislative Affairs [NYC]
Policy Analyst, Council of State Governments [D.C.]
Project Manager, Housing Policy, National Conference of State Legislatures [Denver]
Senior State Policy & Project Manager, United States of Care [Temporary / rolling]
Regional Manager, Voter-Approved Children’s Funds - Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Regional Manager, Voter-Approved Children’s Funds – Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Children’s Funding Project [Remote]
Social and Digital Media Associate, ACLU of Massachusetts [Boston]
Assistant Deputy Administrator, Division of Innovation & Change Management, D.C. Department of Human Services [Washington, D.C.]
COMMS + OPS
Strategic Communications Specialist and More, AFSCME - American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees
Digital Consultant, States United Democracy Center [Remote]
Manager of Digital Content, The Hub Project [D.C.]
Senior Digital Campaign Associate, Brennan Center for Justice [NYC]
Social Media Manager and More, Global Citizen [Hybrid / NY]
Director, Media, Human Rights Watch [deadline 18 Mar.]
Chief Operating Officer, Human Rights Watch [Multiple locations]
Director, Major Gifts & Individual Giving, Partnership For Public Service [D.C.]
Development Director, Greenlight America [Remote]
Institutional Relations Officer, Brennan Center for Justice [NYC]
Chief Executive Officer, The Climate Center [California]
Politics & Society Editor, The Conversation U.S. [Remote]
ACADEMIA
Researcher, Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation [Georgetown University]
Policy Hiring Drive, Development Innovation Lab [University of Chicago]
Assistant/Associate/Full Professor, Dublin Innovation Institute, Northeastern University [Dublin]
Senior Director, City Talent and Student Engagement and More, Bloomberg Center for Cities [Harvard]
Multiple Postdoc Positions, Center for Expanding Viewpoints in Higher Education [Tufts University]
Head of Research, Program on Extremism at George Washington University [Hybrid / D.C.]
Associate Director, Civic Discourse Initiatives [James Madison University]
3-year Postdoctoral Researcher in Public Administration, particularly citizen-state interactions, Department of Political Science and Public Management [University of Southern Denmark, Odense]
Associate Director, MIT Climate Policy Center [MA]
Policy Specialist, Policy@MIT, MIT Sloan School of Management [MA]
Policy Manager, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) [MIT]
TECH + DATA + DESIGN
Program Lead, AI Access Initiative, Evidence Action [Remote]
Senior Policy Counsel for Artificial Intelligence, Privacy, and Technology, ACLU [Hybrid D.C.]
Technology Policy Strategist, Liberty and National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice [NYC]
Director, Information Security, Human Rights Watch [Multiple locations / deadline 29 Mar.]
Head of Technology, Program on Extremism at George Washington University [Remote]
Multiple Positions, Nava [Remote]
Lead Product Engineer and Product Manager, The Collective Intelligence Project [Rolling]
Multiple Positions, Information Technology & Innovation Foundation [D.C.]
Deputy Director, Strategy, Planning & Management, Digital Public Infrastructure, Gates Foundation [Seattle]
Multiple Positions, Blue Rose Research [Remote]
Full Stack Developer, AFSCME - American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees [D.C.]
INTERNATIONAL
Consultant, Governance Global Practice, World Bank [deadline 19 Mar.]
Chair, Demos [London / deadline 20 Mar.]
Country and Policy Support Specialist, Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty [deadline 23 Mar.]
Multiple Positions, Innovations for Poverty Action
Programme Specialist (Education), UNESCO [Paris]
Research Associate, Institute for Research on Public Policy [Hybrid Montreal / deadline 20 Mar.]
Coordinator, Europe Energy Transition Operations, Environmental Defense Fund [Brussels]
EU Policy Officer, Center for Countering Digital Hate [Brussels]
Programme Manager, Democracy Collaborations, Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association [deadline 28 Mar.]
INTERNSHIPS + FELLOWSHIPS
U.S. Public Policy Fellowship, Google [deadline 9 Apr.]
Research Intern (Summer 2026), States United Democracy Center [Remote]
Summer Fellowship, National Security Action [Hybrid / D.C.]
Creative and civic practice intern (Summer 2026), Public Servants [Remote]
Human Rights Fellowship, Overbrook Foundation [deadline 30 Apr.]
IGF 2026 Fellowship Programme, Internet Governance Forum [deadline 31 Mar.]
Internship Announcement, Civil Society Forum [Rolling / Berlin]
Traineeship for Grantmaking support (Western Balkans), European Endowment for Democracy [Brussels]
2026-2027 Fellowship, UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement [deadline 30 Mar.]
2026 Governor’s Fellows Program, Governor of Virginia [deadline 10 Apr.]
Trust Fellows, New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust [deadline 10 Apr.]
Summer 2026 Internship Program, Berkman Klein Center [deadline 22 Mar.]
Legal Fellow, Local Tax Policy, Children’s Funding Project [Remote]
Internship, Governance Data and Analytics, UNDP [Oslo / deadline 25 Mar.]
Summer 2026 Legal Department Undergraduate Internship, Brennan Center for Justice [D.C.]
Innovation Fellow, Brennan Center Ventures, Brennan Center for Justice [NYC]
CONSULTANCIES + OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Consultancy: Project’s Final Evaluation: Digitalise Youth, European Partnership for Democracy [deadline 6 Apr.]
Consultancy: Carbon Market Expert (global), Basel Institute on Governance [deadline 18 Mar.]
Consultancy: 3 Consultants, National Carbon Market Experts -- Ghana, Cameroon, Indonesia, Basel Institute on Governance [deadline 18 Mar.]
Call for Proposals: 2026 Election Science, Reform, and Administration Conference, ESRA [deadline 20 Mar.]
Call for Applications: SPRING 2026 TALENT ACCELERATOR COHORT, Work for America [deadline 20 Mar.]
Call for applications: Public Service Pulse (The first national snapshot of the state and local government workforce), The People Lab
And lots more in the last newsletter: Government Works Weekly #69.