Democracy Campaign Internship

Democracy Campaign Internship – President’s Office

Internship, Democracy Campaign – President’s Office

Summer 2026

Democracy in the United States is under systematic attack – we are seeing the autocratic playbook unfold across the country, corruption is on the rise, the freedom to vote is being assaulted and the security of our elections is threatened.

Join Public Citizen’s Democracy team in mobilizing the power of the people to combat these threats, empower individuals to participate in our elections and defend our democracy.

The Democracy Campaign has senior staff in our Washington, D.C. and Syracuse, New York offices and has a team of in-person and hybrid interns and fellows working throughout the country.

The Democracy Campaign is still accepting applications for the Mobilization & Rule of Law Organizing program.

Mobilization & Rule of Law Organizing

Alongside partner organizations like MoveOn, Indivisible, ACLU and others, Public Citizen plans and executes national coordinated mass mobilizations to organize against rising authoritarianism. Some of the recent mobilizations we’ve played a key role in include No Kings, Workers Over Billionaires, We Are All DC and more. Mobilization interns will get hands-on experience and learn about what it takes to plan, coordinate, and execute national mass mobilizations. This team may also work on specific mobilizations with key groups like veterans or members of the legal community to uplift their voices through movement calls, press calls as well as rallies. No two days look the same on this team as we work to respond to the threats from the Trump administration. This internship will have a hybrid schedule, with at least one day in the Public Citizen DC office each week. This internship also requires providing event support for in-person DC events that Public Citizen is a part of such as rallies, press conferences on Capitol Hill. There may be occasional evening, weekend or holiday events. 

Responsibilities and Qualifications

You’ll be working closely with our team to execute the programs we’re running. Some of your responsibilities could include:

• Working with activists around the country – whether it’s recruitment or providing support for an ongoing action
• Conducting research and writing on democracy-related issues
• Tracking the news and social media on our actions
• Providing event support such as securing permits, assisting check-in, etc 

This is an internship and we don’t expect you to have a lot of prior experience. But these are some qualifications and characteristics that we believe are necessary for you to be successful in this role: 

• Strong project management and self-starting characteristics
• Eagerness to learn new, complex material quickly
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, balance multiple projects and execute plans while reacting to new developments and maintaining accuracy and attention to detail
• Collaborative spirit, high energy, and enthusiasm
• Comfortable cold calling and talking to people on the phone

To Apply:

Public Citizen offers unpaid internships (credit can be arranged) and a small number of paid internships ($17.95 an hour). To be considered for a paid internship for Summer 2026, candidates must apply by March 30, 2026 and submit materials listed below. Chosen applicants will be notified on April 24, 2026. All applications submitted after March 30th will be considered for unpaid positions only. Duties can be performed remotely, but we have a strong preference for DC-based candidates to meet our team’s current needs. 

Please send your cover letter and resume to Public Citizen, DemocracyIntern@citizen.org. 

Be sure to include what makes you passionate about the internship and past experiences you would bring to the campaign. Applications that are missing these key details are typically not considered. 

We are currently accepting applications and interviewing for positions on a rolling basis. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to be competitive. Public Citizen is an equal opportunity employer. women, people of color and LBGT candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.