Job Description

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

The Cato Institute is seeking a Research Associate specializing in “Politics and Society.” The ideal candidate should meet the following criteria: exceptionally strong research skills; knowledge of effective communicative skills, especially regarding argumentation and the purpose of civil discourse; knowledge of the effects of scholarship in race relations from the Civil Rights Movement to contemporary Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives; and an overall commitment to classical liberal values. Successful candidates will be entrepreneurial, diligent self-starters who want to enhance and maintain a free and civil democracy.

This role is available through our two-year Research Associate program, where you will have the opportunity to gain experience working with senior Cato staff and guest lecturers across academia and the policy community. With many opportunities to attend these educational sessions, network with peers and scholars, and gain mentorship from some of the nation’s foremost scholars, successful candidates will be able to excel as leaders in academia, government, business, and beyond.

This is a hybrid position in Washington, DC.

About Cato

The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization—a think tank. Since its creation in 1977, Cato has advanced 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.

Cato owes its name to Cato’s Letters, a series of 18th-century English essays that present a vision of a society free from excessive government power. Those essays inspired the architects of the American Revolution. The timeless principles of that revolution — individual liberty, limited government, and free markets – are even more powerful in today’s world of global markets and widespread access to information. Social and economic freedom is not just the best policy for a free people; it is the indispensable framework for the future.

The Cato Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Responsibilities

• Create Literature Reviews for your mentor’s research.
• Conduct general and/or technical research as necessary. Ideally, this would include the ability to analyze and code data.
• Help draft reports and other research products using original findings and peer-reviewed academic research.
• Edit, fact-check, and/or review various research products.
• Support the administrative and organizational needs and events of the team.
• Create effective infographics and slides to supplement texts.
• Handle logistics for events like lectures, panel discussions, and book forums.
• Help in the selection and supervision of interns.

• Bachelor’s degree in English, Communications, Professional Writing, Philosophy, or equivalent work experience in those fields.
• An understanding of the ideologies that inform various schools of thought about race, from civil rights to contemporary antiracism and DEI.
• An understanding of the fundamentals of rhetoric and its relevance to critical thinking and deliberative civil democracy.
• A passion for the Cato Institute’s ideals, the skill to communicate these ideals..
• Expertise with Microsoft Office.
• Excellent verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills, with a keen attention to detail, quality, and accuracy.
• Reliability, a strong work ethic, and a positive, professional mindset.
• Problem-solving initiative and openness to learning new processes and skills.

Benefits

All Cato employees are provided with:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Employer contribution to a Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Generous vacation and sick days
• Paid parental leave
• Employer-provided life and disability insurance
• 401(k) employer match
• Transit/ Parking benefits
• Pet discount plan

How to apply

Must submit the following:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Writing sample

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