Research Intern - Tax Policy Studies

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 (25–40 hours per week over 12 weeks) joins Cato’s Tax Policy Studies team, working directly with Adam Michel (Director). You’ll help research and write about how the federal tax code raises revenue, distributes subsidies, and shapes incentives—turning public datasets into clear, defensible analysis for op-eds, blog posts, and policy studies.

Day to day, you’ll collect, clean, and analyze data (e.g., IRS SOI, CBO, OMB, JCT, BEA/BLS/FRED), build readable charts and tables, and draft concise literature reviews that inform ongoing tax and fiscal policy work—aligned with individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace.

Responsibilities

• Regular fact-finding missions to assist scholars’ op-eds, studies, and blog posts.
• Data collection and analysis for comparative policy studies across states and countries.
• Write thorough literature reviews on topics relevant to scholars.

Qualifications

• Strong interest in—and working familiarity with—US tax and fiscal policy (revenue, subsidies, behavioral responses).
• Solid background in economics and research; clearly explains incentives and trade-offs.
• Proficiency in Excel (filters/sort, XLOOKUP or INDEX-MATCH, PivotTables) with organized, well-labeled workbooks.
• Clear policy writing with precise claims and accurate citations to primary sources.
• Data literacy with common tax/fiscal sources (IRS SOI, CBO, OMB, JCT, BEA/BLS/FRED); careful units/deflators and proper documentation.
• Proficiency in Stata or R is a plus; maintain reproducible analyses and clear methodological notes.

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.