Thousands of internships are available in a wide variety of organizations in Washington, D.C. While not exhaustive, the following summaries describe the working environment and typical internship experiences.

House of Representatives
Senate
White House
Federal Agency
Advocacy Organization or Think Tank
Lobbying Firm
Political Organization

Interning in the House of Representatives

Offices in the House of Representatives typically have staffs of fifteen or less; half are administrative and half are legislative. Interns are asked to answer phones, sort and sometimes respond to constituent mail, conduct tours of the Capitol for constituents, and may be assigned special projects. Interns might also conduct research on a new or developing issue area, draft talking points, or be asked to attend hearings. Offices in the House of Representatives are small; legislative and press staff usually share one room, at best with dividers between desks. Interns may share a table or desk. While interns are not likely to spend a great deal of time directly with the Member of Congress, it is possible in this sort of position to be very close to the day-to-day action. Interns will gain a thorough understanding of the legislative process, the roles of each member of the staff, and the work of a Member of Congress. Internships are also often the first rung in the ladder of Congressional employment; with the experience of a Congressional internship, you are a strong candidate for an entry level position in a Congressional office. Interns are also welcome in the district offices of Members of Congress. Working in the DO, you may spend more time at constituent events with or without the Member of Congress, you may help with casework (constituent requests for help), and you will learn a great deal about the expectations of constituents and the demands placed on Members who split their time between their district and Washington.

Interning in the Senate

Offices in the Senate are larger than in the House, with staffs of as many as 40. Generally, the office is divided into staff handling policy (i.e. legislative assistants and the director), staff handling constituent concerns (i.e. legislative correspondents) and the press office. During the summer, a Senate office will generally have 3-7 interns, though some offices find room for as many as 10. The size of the office – which dictates how many staff and interns a Senator can house, depends somewhat on the Senator’s seniority, which building he or she is in, and the population of the State they represent. Offices in Russell are smaller than those in Hart or Dirksen and may be divided among several floors. All interns will be expected to help the staff assistants in answering phones, sorting and sometimes responding to constituent mail, and conducting tours of the Capitol for constituents. As an example of the funny things interns are sometimes asked to do, they may also be expected to save a field on the mall for office softball games. If an intern is particularly interested in press issues, he or she may become the special intern of the press office. This person will be expected to arrive around 7:30 a.m. to search for articles that mentioned the Senator and send out a staff email. Occasionally, a legislative assistant might ask an intern to conduct research on a new or developing issue area, draft talking points, or attend hearings. As in the House, interns will likely gain a thorough understanding of the roles of each member of the staff and the busy life of a Senator. Also as in the House, many senior staff started as interns. Similar to working in the DO of a Member of Congress, positions are available in district offices on the Senate side. These offices are typically small, providing you an opportunity to develop solid working relationships with staff and perhaps to spend more time directly with the Senator than you might in the Washington office.

Interning at the White House

Arriving at the White House complex each morning will likely give you a bit of a thrill every day of your internship. Once you are through the gates, however, it is important that your expectations are based on reality. If you are accepted to intern at the White House, do not expect to be placed in the West Wing. The White House accepts 100 interns each summer, the majority of whom work in the Old Executive Office Building. You will likely be assigned to the Correspondence office, which is practically run by interns. Depending on your assignment (see website for details: http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/wh-intern.html), you may be making copies, answering phones, helping tourists, or responding to mail. As in most internships in DC, if you are willing to complete these mundane tasks with alacrity and good humor, you may be assigned more interesting projects.

Interning in a federal agency

In addition to the White House, the executive branch of the federal government includes departments, agencies, government corporations, boards, commissions, and committees. Each of these bodies are extremely specialized and have very different organizational structures. Interning in one of these offices could be one way to get very close to the day-to-day functioning of the government. Federal agencies often use internships as a way to recruit individuals for full-time work, so choosing an internship in an issue area that is of particular interest to you could well lead to employment after college or at the very least some well-placed references.

Interning for an advocacy organization or think tank

There is a vast range of non-profit organizations in Washington and New York representing particular interests. Many of these organizations have limited resources, which means they usually don’t have enough staff to do everything they would like to do, and are not able to pay high salaries to the staff they have. This has several consequences. First, these employers tend to have a staff that is committed to the organization’s cause. Second, staff are given freedom to take on new projects, which can be an opportunity to establish themselves as an authority on an issue. Third, interns are welcome and are often provided the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the work of the organization. An intern working for an advocacy organization may be asked to prepare reports or fact sheets that the organization will publish, to prepare testimony, or to conduct research on a new issue area. This is an excellent choice for a student who wants to work on a particular issue area, such as children’s health, tax policy, or minority issues. This sort of internship experience could lead to full-time work with an advocacy organization. While many individuals continue their work in advocacy organizations, others use their advocacy experience to move into positions in Congress or in one of the federal agencies.

The profile for think tanks is a little different; there are several think tanks in Washington and New York that are very well funded and have large staffs. Others are less well-funded. In either case, an internship at a think tank will be some mix of administrative and research assignments.

Interning for a lobbying firm

Like advocacy organizations, lobbying firms exist to persuade Congress and the Agencies to act in a particular way. Unlike advocacy organizations, lobbying firms are free to contribute to political campaigns, are typically much better funded (as they are paid very well by their clients), and work on a range of issues depending on the needs of their clients. An intern at a D.C. firm is likely to make deliveries to the hill, monitor hearings, and provide research assistance as necessary. Students who are interested in the interface between paid lobbyists and policymaking might find this an interesting choice. In addition, Congressional staff often parlay their experience into lucrative jobs in lobbying firms; making contacts and gaining an understanding of the work of these firms would likely ease this transition or eliminate it altogether for the enterprising intern. Finally, unlike Hill internships, these spots are more likely to be paid.

Interning for a political organization

By all accounts, interning at the DCCC, the RNC, or similar organization, is a fast paced, in-the-thick-of-it experience. What an intern will actually do varies, depending on the department to which you are assigned and the type of race you’re working on. The DCCC's website has a good description of their departments and duties at:
http://www.dccc.org/get_involved/internships/
The hours in political campaign work are long, and while the work can be intellectually demanding, it is also likely to include significant administrative projects. If this is a path you are considering taking as a career, the contacts you will make during your internship will be invaluable.

For additional reading, see The Insider’s Guide to Political Internships, by Grant Reeher and Mack Mariani, 2002.