Government Works Weekly #72
Jobs, Events, and The Once and Future King
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 might also benefit.
Scroll down all the way for 13 upcoming events and 63 jobs and opportunities to help government work… I had a lot more planned for this week, but my kid is on school break, I am heading to pick up a visiting abuelo from the airport, and we are going to the beach this weekend. See you all next week… maybe.
EYES & EARS – readings, podcasts, and other good stuff
See Something, Say Something, Do Something
Last week’s newsletter covered a bunch of depressing news about democracy, but it ended with the exhortation to do something. Well, tomorrow presents one opportunity. Indivisible is expecting over 3,000 separate No Kings events on March 28th, so think about checking out one near you.
Find an event here: https://www.nokings.org/
Going to marches and protests may not be for everyone—although let’s hope it is appealing for around 3.5% of folks. But there are tons of ways to get involved that are much healthier and more productive than doomscrolling (which you should certainly stop doing after you finish reading this post and clicking on its links).
Substacking alone is not enough.
For the No Kings in October, I shared a bunch of resources about protests and non-violence. Although I am happy to hit the streets for the right occasion, one of my favorite pieces at the time was for those (like me) that generally aren’t inclined toward large crowds:
The introvert’s guide to fighting for democracy, Anna Dorman, If you can keep it from Protect Democracy, 15 October 2025.
Thinking of doing something besides protesting? Protect Democracy has helpfully pulled together a bunch of other resources on ways to get involved,
The Democracy Playbook: How you can protect democracy, Protect Democracy.
While Democracy Forward has developed resources for protecting your political rights, including for protesting and free speech:
Resources: Know Your Rights, Democracy Forward.
Speaking of speech, earlier this week I watched an excellent webinar from the Democracy Narratives Alliance that introduces their new report:
Highly recommended to all!
Throwback Friday: The Once and Future King?
I am introducing a new segment for the Substack here, Throwback Friday, where I can provide updates to things I have previously featured in the newsletter.
From the Royal Court of Donald J. Trump
Unless you can make the world wag better than it does at present, King, your reign will be an endless series of petty battles…
—T. H. White, The Once and Future King
I first saw this quote ages ago in school and later used it in my grad school thesis, which was about China’s expanding presence in Latin America. But Merlin’s advice to Arthur fits a lot of contexts, including our own. I hadn’t remembered the end of the quote, but it is perhaps even more fitting: “...in which the aggressions will either be from spiteful reasons or from sporting ones, and in which the poor man will be the only one who dies.”
It seems Trump—who I am guessing placed an oddly over-eager emphasis on the author’s surname if he ever had occasion to discuss T.H. White’s book—and other personalistic leaders are in the midst of what some are calling a neo-royalist turn. (Anyone who has seen a picture of the inside of Trump’s apartment in New York would not be surprised.)
In a post from last Thanksgiving, I shared a fascinating podcast interview on the neo-royalist world order from the ever-useful Good Authority (website / Substack). The interview was with Stacie Goddard and Abe Newman, based on a piece they had in the journal International Organization.
[READ] Further Back to the Future: Neo-Royalism, the Trump Administration, and the Emerging International System, Stacie E. Goddard and Abraham Newman, International Organization, 20 November 2025
[LISTEN] The new neo-royalist world order: Stacie Goddard and Abe Newman explain how cliques are ruling the world, Good Authority, 21 November 2025.
Since that time, there has been some other good stuff out on neo-royalty, court politics, and personalistic regimes. So I wanted to share some of those here. Check out:
[READ / WATCH / LISTEN] Inside Trump’s ‘Royal Court’ (Youtube), or Who Has the Power in Trump’s White House? (NYT), The Ezra Klein Show, 20 February 2026.
[READ / LISTEN] Erica Frantz says Personalist Parties are Democracy’s Latest Threat, Democracy Paradox (podcast), 18 February 2026.
[LISTEN] Trump’s imperial worldview, The Engelsberg Ideas Podcast, 19 March 2026.
[READ] From the Administrative Presidency to Personalist Consolidation: Trumpism and Executive Control of the Regulatory State, William G. Resh, SSRN, 17 February 2026.
[READ] “Gooning Towards the Führer” as policy coordination: The Trumpist administrative style, Henry Farrell, Programmable Mutter, 23 March 2026.
A Less Forlorn Future with Fewer Crowns
The good news is, it doesn’t have to be this way. A brighter future is possible. Especially if we, you know, do something. A few weeks back, I wrote:
It sometimes seems like people use the word utopian almost dismissively, as if thinking about an idealized future isn’t realistic or useful. But I think it can be. And there have been an abundance (excuse the word) of articles, events, and even jobs lately about how to expand our conceptions and expectations of government through stories about a brighter future. Here are some of them…
Well, here are some more links for your reading future:
[READ] From Maze to Mandala: Reimagining Civic and Democratic Futures, Trust, Accountability, and Inclusion Collaborative (TAI) 2025 Learning Days Debriefing Pack, November 2025.
[READ] Block, Bridge, and Build: A Framework to Forge a More Democratic Future, Julia Roig, The Beautiful Movement, 17 February 2026.
[READ] Reimagining Parliament Through Foresight: How legislatures are building institutional capacity to think beyond electoral cycles and anticipate long-term, Beatriz Rey, Modern Parliament, 26 February 2026.
[READ] Policy Futures Studios: Building An Anticipatory State: Futures is not missing from government. It’s just not where decisions are made, Jack Strachan, Civicworks, 25 March 2026.
[READ] Democracy Futurists at Work: How Democracy 2076 is Rewriting the Constitution, Joanna Kenty, The Renovator, 8 March 2026.
[READ] Colorado Future Systems Policy Sprint, Federation of American Scientists, 18 March 2026. (Application deadline 3 April.)
[READ] How to Future, Kevin Kelly, 16 March 2026.
EVENT HORIZON – webinars, conferences, and other human things
WEEK OF 28 MARCH – 3 APRIL 2026
28 MAR: No Kings Day
30 MAR: Using Civic Imagination to Shape Our Next 250 Years [Everyday Democracy]
30 MAR: America at 250 and Beyond: Union and Disunion [Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School]
30 MAR: Reclaiming Democracy: Lessons from around the globe [ISS-IDS]
30 MAR: Executive Override: How the Trump administration is using federal power to deceive Americans, disrupt our elections, and deny fair results — and what we can do to stop it [Protect Democracy]
30-31 MAR: 10th Urbanization and Development Conference [World Bank]
31 MAR: 10 Lessons for Building Government and Research Partnerships That Matter [Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities + J-PAL North America]
1 APR: Perspectives on Media and Democracy [SNF Agora Institute]
1 APR: What’s on funders’ minds? [Democracy Notes]
2 APR: From Broad Categories to Better Outcomes: Strengthening Federal Policy Through High‑Quality Race and Ethnicity Data [Data Foundation]
2 APR: Place-Based Strategies: Strengthening Local Economies in Low-Income Communities [FedCommunities]
2 APR: Designing for Accountability [Public Policy Lab]
2 APR: Health, Knowledge, Politics: Understanding the Triad [Boston U]
APPLY YOURSELF – jobs, internships, and other ways to get involved
POLICY + PROGRAM
(Senior) Federal Policy Analyst/Advisor, Recoding America Fund [Remote]
US Program Director, GiveDirectly [Remote]
Policy Manager, Issue One [D.C.]
Program Specialist, AidKit [Remote]
Staff Counsel, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
Public Policy Analyst/Senior Public Policy Analyst, National Councils of Nonprofits [D.C. area]
Senior Manager, Policy, Wings Over Working Lands, Audubon Society [D.C.]
Senior Program Officer, Movement Infrastructure & Explorations, Freedom Together Foundation [NYC]
STATE + LOCAL
Philanthropic Liaison, New York City Mayor’s Office
Manager, State Affairs, LA28 Olympics [Los Angeles]
Legal Director, Local Progress and Local Progress Impact Lab [Remote]
Legislative Analyst, Governmental Relations, California School Boards Association
Research Associate, California Budget and Policy Center [deadline 10 Apr.]
Climate Policy Supervisor, CA Environmental Protection Agency [deadline 10 Apr.]
Director of Strategic Communications, Governors Action Alliance
COMMS + OPS
Head of Strategic Communications, Recoding America Fund [Remote]
Digital Content Manager, Issue One [D.C.]
Communications Manager, Local Progress and Local Progress Impact Lab [Remote]
Communications Specialist, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants [Arlington, VA]
Communications Associate and Analytics Associate, Center for Economic Democracy [Jamaica Plain, MA]
Content Manager, Priorities USA [Remote]
Head of Finance and Philanthropic Partnerships Associate or Manager, Recoding America Fund [Remote]
Chief Development Officer, Roosevelt Institute [NYC or D.C. / via NRG]
Director of Major Gifts, Issue One [D.C.]
People Experience Specialist, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer [deadline 6 Apr.]
Director of People, Place, and Culture, Vera Institute of Justice
VP of Leadership Programs, Constructive Dialogue Institute
Organizing Associate, Center for Tech and Civic Life [Remote]
Development Associate, Democracy Now [NYC]
Funding Programs Manager (Cycle), Indivisible [Remote]
Influence Reporter, Politico [Arlington, VA]
ACADEMIA
Director of Operations, People Lab [Harvard Kennedy School]
Pre-Doctoral Fellows Program, Tobin Center for Economic Policy [Yale]
Research Officers x4 (POPGOV), London School of Economics [deadline 24 Apr.]
Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Management, Sol Price School of Public Policy [USC]
Associate Director, Applied History Project [Harvard Kennedy School]
TECH + DATA + DESIGN
Data Scientist, The Lab @ DC [deadline 6 Apr.]
Innovation Program Manager, The Office of Data & Innovation [CA / deadline 9 Apr.]
Chief Technology Officer, City of Seattle [deadline 31 Mar.]
Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Oklahoma Human Services
Lead Experience Designer, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Product Director, Connect for Health Colorado
AI Policy Research Leads, RAND’s Center on AI, Security, and Technology (CAST)
Full-Stack Software Engineer, AidKit [Remote]
INTERNATIONAL
Analyst, UN Advocacy and Research, International Crisis Group [NYC]
Specialist Editor, Europe and Central Asia, Committee to Protect Journalists [deadline 31 Mar.]
Director of Policy and Impact, Demos [UK]
(Senior) Program Associate, Program Development, Innovations for Poverty Action [Colombia / Cote d’Ivoire / Ghana / Kenya / Nigeria / Peru / Tanzania / Uganda / US]
Policy & Communications Manager on Labour Exploitation, Latin American Women’s Rights Service [London]
Coordenadora De Comunicação, Legisla Brasil [São Paulo]
Senior Research Analyst, Policy in Practice [UK]
INTERNSHIPS + FELLOWSHIPS
UN Advocacy and Research Intern, CIVICUS
Intern, Government Relations and Communications and Intern, Digital Currency, National Endowment for Democracy [D.C.]
Ishiyama Transparency in Government Legal Fellow, NPR [deadline 10 Apr.]
Fellow, State Policy Research, National Conference of State Legislatures [deadline 3 Apr.]
Graduate Humanities Internship, Roosevelt Institute [deadline 6 Apr.]
CONSULTANCIES + OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Consultancy Offer: Call for Policy Outreach Advisor (DRC), Partnership for Economic Policy [deadline 2 Apr.]
Strategic Communications Consultant, Global Witness [deadline 1 Apr.]
Consultant: Montana Election Observation Initiative Regional Coordinator – Election Standards, The Carter Center
Consultant: Michigan Nonpartisan Observation Program Advisor, The Carter Center
And lots more in the last newsletter: Government Works Weekly #71.