KAP 2026-2027 Research Associate for Budget and Entitlement Policy Cato Institute

Stand Together

Job Location:

Washington, DC - USA

Monthly Salary: Not Disclosed

Posted on: 30+ days ago

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

The Koch Associate Program (KAP) is a career accelerator for early to mid-career professionals with a drive to tackle our countrys most pressing challenges in more effective principled ways. KAP equips associates with the tools mindsets and community to succeed as social entrepreneursindividuals excited to find new and better ways to break barriers and eliminate injustice. Associates spend one day each week engaging in experiential learning with Stand Together Fellowships and work at one of our many partner organizations the rest of the week. Our curriculum is designed to supercharge your development and equip you for long-term success as you seek to have an impact on the problems that prevent people from realizing their potential.

About Cato

The Cato Institute is a public policy research organizationa think tankdedicated to the principles of individual liberty limited government free markets and peace. Its scholars and analysts conduct independent nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues.

Founded in 1977 Cato owes its name toCatos Letters a series of essays published in 18th-century England that presented a vision of a society free from excessive government power. Those essays inspired the architects of the American Revolution. And the simple timeless principles of that revolution individual liberty limited government free markets and peace animate Catos research to this day. The Cato Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Position Overview

The Cato Institute is seeking a Research Associate to support the Director of Budget and Entitlement Policy with research and related administrative tasks.

The Research Associate will help produce research summaries and original policy analysis for different publications including working papers blog posts op-eds tweets and books. They will support the Director with topical briefs fiscal data analyses and organizational tasks that support Catos mission. The ideal candidate has a strong grasp of economics and is a self-starter curious and detail-oriented.

This position could be hybrid fully remote or at Catos office.

Responsibilities

Support the research of the Budget and Entitlement Policy team.
Support the administrative and organizational needs of the Budget and Entitlement Policy team.
Produce the weekly Debt Digest including synthesizing fiscal developments analyzing budget data and drafting concise summaries for publication and similar newsletter features.

Requirements

Education and Experience

A bachelors degree in economics or political science.
No prior work experience required.

Skills

Passion for the intersection of economics government policy and libertarianism.
Familiarity with basic economic and budgeting concepts.
Empirical skills and familiarity with R STATA Excel and other statistical programs are a plus.
Strong organizational skills and a commitment to accuracy.
Strong writing skills.
Intellectual curiosity and demonstrated ability to question assumptions think independently and advance new ideas.

$57000 - $62000 a year

To Apply

Please submit the following materials in one PDF file:

CV/Resume
Cover Letter/Intro Email.
Two work samples (original data analyses research reports working papers peer-reviewed articles dissertations data memos blog posts etc.).

About Stand Together Fellowships

Learn more aboutStand Together Fellowships.

Stand Together Fellowships believes that diversity in experiences perspectives knowledge and ideas fuels creativity broadens knowledge and helps drive success. Our admissions office treats all program participantsand applicantswith honesty dignity respectand welcome all qualified applicants regardless ofcolorracereligionreligious creedsexgenderor gender identitygender expressionsexual orientation national origin citizenship ethnicity ancestry age physical disability mental disability medical condition pregnancy(including medical needs which may arise from pregnancy childbirth or related medical conditions)military andveteran statusgenetic informationmaritalor familialstatus political affiliationor any other legallyrecognized protected basis under federal state or local laws regulations or ordinances.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process such as reviewing applications analyzing resumes or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed please contact us.

Required Experience: