Government Affairs Internship: A Comprehensive Overview of Responsibilities and Opportunities

An internship in government affairs offers invaluable practical work experience and the chance to forge connections with industry experts and colleagues. These roles provide students and recent graduates with exposure to regional planning, legislative analysis, and strategic communication, allowing them to contribute meaningfully to various projects. These internships are designed to provide experience through administrative and technical tasks.

SCAG Internship Program: A Focus on Southern California

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) offers internships within its Government and Public Affairs Division. SCAG is deeply committed to embodying the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and advancing racial equity throughout the Southern California region, encouraging applications by members of all underrepresented groups. These internships, typically starting in mid-September, are limited to a maximum of 29 hours per week (499-999 hours), with a minimum requirement of 15 hours per week. SCAG is seeking 3 interns in the Government and Public Affairs Division, supporting our Government Affairs, Legislation, and Media and Public Affairs departments.

Government Affairs Intern Responsibilities (499-hour internship)

The Government Affairs intern will play a crucial role in supporting Connect SoCal by tracking outreach and engagement, assisting with events, and providing overall project support. Key responsibilities include:

Event Support: Assisting with event logistics, attending and staffing events, and contributing to meetings, including critical SCAG meetings.
Sponsorship Support: Tracking sponsorship funds and providing insights, as well as supporting the Scholarship Committee in its work with scholarship winners.
Community Engagement: Supporting SCAG’s efforts to strengthen community engagement and maintain open communication with member agencies, elected officials, and stakeholders.

The Government Affairs Department serves as the frontline "eyes and ears" to the community, elected officials, and stakeholders. It helps SCAG fulfill state and federal requirements as the metropolitan planning organization and multi-county designated transportation planning agency for the region. Government Affairs assists the agency to strengthen community engagement, to maintain and increase participation from SCAG’s members and in supporting the regional transportation planning, programming, and policy-making process to fulfill SCAG’s vision, mission, goals, and objectives approved by SCAG General Assembly and Regional Council. This includes monitoring the activities of SCAG’s members (cities, counties, county transportation commissions, federally recognized tribal governments, and other stakeholders) and reporting on issues, conflicts, and constraints that may impact SCAG's ability to meet state and federal planning requirements. This position is expected to come into the office 1-3 days (s) a week.

Legislation Intern Responsibilities (999-hour internship)

The Legislation intern will be involved in various projects within the Legislation Department, primarily focusing on the letters program, where SCAG prepares letters supporting member jurisdictions' and stakeholders' applications for state and federal grant programs. Their duties include:

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Legislative Analysis: Analyzing proposed federal and state legislation to assess its impact on SCAG’s legislative priorities and programs.
Committee Support: Providing staff support for the Legislative/ Communications & Membership Committee (LCMC), including preparing staff reports and attending internal and external meetings.
Drafting Materials: Assisting in drafting letters, fact sheets, analyses, reports, and other materials.
Office Support: Performing office support functions such as file maintenance, developing Excel sheets, and legislative tracking.

The Legislative Department at SCAG engages with Congressional lawmakers, the Administration, and federal agency officials on a wide range of SCAG-related planning and policy issues. Additionally, the department supports SCAG’s efforts to advocate for programs that help local agencies implement projects and strategies that achieve greenhouse gas reduction, consistent with SCAG’s Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, and that promote stable and robust transportation funding for local governmental and transportation agencies to meet the needs of an ever-growing region. This position is expected to come into the office one day a week.

Media and Public Affairs Intern Responsibilities (499-hour internship)

The Media and Public Affairs content intern will focus on maintaining and updating web content, ensuring its accuracy and relevance. Responsibilities include:

Content Management: Updating and maintaining web content.
Collateral Development: Assisting in the development and updating of SCAG collateral, such as fact sheets and PowerPoint presentations.
Event Preparation: Assisting in the preparation for signature events, ensuring visually appealing and impactful materials.
Operational Support: Providing support to the Content & Channels team, contributing to the overall workflow of the agency’s graphic designers.

SCAG’s Media and Public Affairs Department deploys strategic communications to further agency priorities and foster public understanding of long-range regional planning. The department aims to produce clear and consistent communications, media, and promotional campaigns that exemplify agency values and standards and enhance the SCAG brand as a respected and influential voice for the region by increasing awareness of agency’s work and purpose. This position is expected to come into the office one day a week.

Activate Global Internship: A Focus on Government Relations

Activate Global offers internships focused on government relations, providing opportunities to support fundraising, policy advocacy, and positioning strategies with federal and state governments.

Government Relations Intern Responsibilities

The Government Relations Intern will support Activate's efforts in developing and implementing fundraising, policy advocacy, and positioning strategies with federal and state governments. The intern will work closely with the Government Relations Director, Government Grants Manager, and Chief Growth Officer. The role involves assisting in various projects aimed at influencing key stakeholders to support Activate’s government fundraising, partnership, and policy objectives. Key responsibilities include:

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Legislative Tracking: Assisting in monitoring, researching, analyzing, and tracking key legislation and executive orders that align with Activate’s priority areas at the federal level.
Funding Opportunity Support: Supporting the identification of federal and state funding opportunities and collaborating with Activate’s development team to prepare and submit proposals and/or reports.
Relationship Management: Assisting in managing Activate’s relationship with government relations firms, tracking meetings and managing notes.
Government Resource Support: Researching opportunities for Activate to serve as a resource to government, including participation in government commissions, working groups, advisory committees, events, and meetings.
Networking Support: Supporting on connecting Activate Fellows and alumni with congressional and agency staff.
Event Support: Supporting on government relations-related events, such as tracking attendees, managing logistics.

This position is typically from May to August with the option of extending until October, offering 40 hours per week during the summer and 10-20 hours per week in the fall. While candidates located in one of their hubs-Bay Area (CA), Boston (MA), New York (NY), or Houston (TX)-are preferred, remote work is also an option.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Ideal candidates for government relations internships typically possess the following qualifications:

Educational Background: Currently enrolled in or recent graduate of a Bachelor’s or Master’s program in political science, public administration, communications, or a related field.
Interest in Public Affairs: A strong interest in public affairs and government relations.
Communication Skills: Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Research Skills: Ability to research information and prepare collateral and other correspondence.
Technical Skills: Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word and Excel.
Teamwork and Independence: Ability to work independently and as part of a cross-functional team.

General Responsibilities and Skills Development

Regardless of the specific organization, government affairs internships often involve a range of responsibilities aimed at developing essential skills:

Research and Analysis: Interns conduct in-depth research on various topics related to government policies, regulations, and legislation. They analyze data, summarize findings, and prepare reports to inform decision-making.
Communication and Advocacy: Interns develop strong communication skills through drafting letters, memos, and presentations. They may also assist in preparing talking points for meetings with government officials and stakeholders.
Event Planning and Coordination: Interns often assist in organizing and coordinating events, such as conferences, seminars, and meetings. This involves managing logistics, inviting attendees, and preparing materials.
Administrative Support: Interns provide administrative support to the government affairs team, including managing files, scheduling meetings, and handling correspondence.
Policy Analysis: Based on 9,651 job postings related to legislative affairs interns, policy analysis was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 32% of all postings looking for that skillset. According to job postings that were published between September 2022 and August 2023, the top job sought by employers was policy analysts, with 1,099 unique job postings.
Real-World Experience: The Government Affairs Internship will allow the successful candidate to greatly enhance their real-life professional experiences and utilize modern skillsets within the field(s) they are currently pursuing.

The Value of Government Affairs Internships

Government affairs internships offer a unique opportunity to gain firsthand experience in the political and policy-making arena. They provide valuable insights into how government agencies operate, how legislation is developed, and how organizations can influence public policy. Interns develop a wide range of skills, including research, analysis, communication, and advocacy, which are highly valued in various fields.

Furthermore, these internships provide the opportunity to build valuable relationships with industry experts and colleagues. Interns can network with professionals in government, business, and non-profit organizations, opening doors to future career opportunities.

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Additional Internship Opportunities

Legislative Affairs Interns study the origin, development, and operation of political systems. May study topics, such as public opinion, political decisionmaking, and ideology. May analyze the structure and operation of governments, as well as various political entities. May conduct public opinion surveys, analyze election results, or analyze public documents.

When it comes to jobs in the United States, the largest single category of legislative affairs interns can be found working in the Federal Government, Civilian sector. In 2023, about 67.1% of all jobs for legislative affairs interns were found there.

Educational Opportunities

Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives, serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Internships can help students learn the real-world management skills needed to be a leader in government and nonprofit organizations. Identify opportunities to improve the quality of life for people with a customizable major intended to help you achieve your career goals. Earn your master's degree online and earn real-world skills to advance your career within public service. Earn a 14-month online Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree with a Specialization in Healthcare and gain interdisciplinary communication and decision-making skills alongside specialized knowledge on healthcare policies, operations and analytics. Earn your Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree with a Specialization in Human Resources and build the leadership skills to advance a government or public service agency alongside an emphasis on strategic HR best practices.

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