Internships

Thank you to the Harvard Democrats who have put together excellent information about getting internships. We have made a few small changes, but just about all of it comes directly from their website.

No office in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives is without its loyal contingent of interns. Every Representative and Senator should have specific internship information on his or her website, accessible through www.senate.gov and www.house.gov.

• Duties: Experiences vary among offices, but duties typically include clerical assistance with phones, mail, and copying, writing letters to constituents, researching policy issues, attending committee meetings, and sometimes giving tours of the Capitol building.
• District or Washington? Working in a state or district office generally involves more constituent casework than a Washington office, which will focus more on policy issues.
• Home State Advantage: It is customary to work for your own Representative or Senator. Preference is usually given to applicants from the Congressperson's state or district. This is not a fixed rule, though; contact the internship coordinator of the office you're interested in to see if they consider applications from out-of-state students.
• Pay: With a few exceptions, internships in Congress are unpaid. Funding is available from other sources, especially the Institute of Politics: see the Money section of this page for more information.
• Ask Ian Everhart about his experience as a Congressional intern.

For students looking for a more hands-on and personal experience than Congress can offer, a State House of Senate can offer a unique opportunity to work closely with an elected representative on a broad range of issues. Internship programs vary among states-look at your state legislature's website for more information. One nice bonus of working at the state level: interns are more likely to get paid in state legislatures. And since the Federal executive branch isn't, uh, ideal for Democratic interns for the next few years, a governor's office can offer a unique mix of high-level work with more local scope. Mayors' offices and city councils sometimes have internships; if not, they may be glad to create one for you.

Nonprofits do a great deal of very important work on progressive and Democratic issues. Internships vary widely among different groups. The greatest number are available in Washington and New York, but every large city has a number of nonprofits taking on interns. Options range from Democratic organizations like the DNC and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to interest groups such as People for the American Way, the ACLU, or Amnesty International.

Interning with a campaign involves a greater degree of commitment than simply volunteering, and with this comes more access to the heart of a campaign operation. Check the Rice Young Dems website or contact our officers, for information on campaigns in Texas looking for interns. Contact us regarding our members' various campaign experiences.

Websites and intern coordinators at your desired location will have specifics on applying-expect them to ask for a resume and reference letters from past employers or instructors. Be sure to follow up aggressively on the phone to make sure your application is received and being considered-government and nonprofit offices are often buzzing and overworked, and may lose track. If you are applying to work with a Democratic elected official, be sure to let the Rice University Young Democrats Executive Board Members know, as RUYD may be able to help you get the position you are seeking. Another resource for landing a great internship is the Baker Institute for Public Policy, which invites Rice undergrads to apply for its paid research internships. Letters of recommendation are also available from the Rice University Young Democrats.

Housing fills up fast, so start looking early if you're planning to work in Washington. It's usually a good idea financially to go in with roommates. Ask around at Rice. College dorms are often the best deal available; here are a few of the best options:

• Georgetown Law Center is ideally located, comfortable, and fairly well-priced. Natrually, it's also among the first to fill up.
• George Washington University offers a wide variety of housing options a few blocks from the White House and close to a subway stop. Prices are decent; quality of rooms varies widely; as always, the sooner you book the better off you are.
• American University's and Georgetown's main campuses are both attractive housing options, though they are further from the action and require a bus to access the subway.

Most of the plum internships in politics are not paid. Fortunately, funding for unpaid internships is often available from other sources. Beware: most organizations will not fund campaign internships. However, campaigns sometimes make room and board available or can point you to part-time jobs.