Quantitative Research Intern - Economic and Social Policy

To be considered for this role, you must apply directly through our online application. 

About the Role

This paid, in-person internship in Washington, DC (25–37.5 hours per week over 12 weeks) joins Cato’s Economic & Social Policy team, working with Alex Nowrasteh (Vice President for Economic and Social Policy Studies) and Krit Chanwong (Quantitative Research Associate).

You’ll support advanced research on US economic and social policy—labor markets, social insurance, criminal justice, demographics, and regulation—by turning data and scholarship into clear, well-supported analysis for briefs, memos, and publications. Recent ESP work includes immigrant-incarceration analysis and Social Security modeling with overlapping-generations (OLG) methods.

The role emphasizes rigor, clarity, and timely execution in support of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace.

Responsibilities

• Statistical analysis of economic and social policy data.
• Completing literature reviews of existing economic and social policies and their research literature.
• Identifying and summarizing detailed policy reports and papers to assist new and ongoing research projects.
• Assist with editing policy research publications.
• Building ETL pipelines and other data automations to collect, clean, transform, and update datasets for ongoing projects.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated interest in—and working familiarity with—US economic and social policy, institutions, and current debates.
• Strong quantitative research skills and experience, including data hygiene, clear documentation, and careful interpretation of results.
• Proficiency in R or Python for statistical analysis and data work (e.g., tidyverse, pandas).
• Clear, concise policy writing with precise citations to primary sources and datasets.
• Professionalism and reliability—work independently, manage multiple projects, meet deadlines, and communicate progress proactively

Finalists may be asked to complete a brief technical exam to evaluate their fit for the team.

The Cato Internship Program

Cato’s paid internships are available for undergraduates, recent graduates, graduate students, law students, and early-career professionals who are strongly committed to individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace—principles that together form libertarianism, also known as “classical liberalism,” “market liberalism,” or, to many of our international friends, simply “liberalism.” 

All Cato interns participate in the same intensive seminar series, which covers a wide range of history, philosophy, policy, and professional development topics. Interns also assist with events and occasionally support Cato staff with other daily tasks. 

Interns receive competitive pay. Part-time roles are adjusted accordingly and require a minimum of 25 hours per week. Program participants must be able to attend in person in Washington, DC.

For more information about the internship program and experience, we encourage you to explore our website. If you have any questions, email studentprograms@cato.org.