KIP Spring 2027 - Economic Research Intern - Fulcrum Foundation

Overview

The Fulcrum Foundation seeks an intern to support research on state government regulatory policy and its effects on economic growth, entrepreneurship, labor markets, housing, occupational licensing, permitting, and related public policy issues.

Interns will work closely with senior researchers to gather and organize data, review proposed rules and administrative records, assist with research for public comment letters submitted to state agencies and legislatures, and contribute to policy briefs and reports intended for policymakers and the broader public.

The internship is designed for undergraduate students, recent graduates, and early-stage graduate or law students interested in public policy, economics, law, or government. Prior research experience is helpful but not required; we are looking for careful, curious people who write well and can work independently in a remote setting. 

Research Areas

Potential areas of work include:

• Administrative law, rulemaking, and the public comment process
• Occupational licensing
• Business permitting and approvals
• Housing and land-use regulation
• Small business and entrepreneurship policy
• State economic development
• Regulatory impact analysis
• Government modernization and process reform
• Labor market regulation
• Institutional determinants of economic growth

Responsibilities

• Assist with research for public comment letters on proposed state rules and regulations, including reviewing rulemaking notices, summarizing proposed rule text and agency justifications, and identifying relevant statutes, prior comments, and existing research.
• Help draft and fact-check sections of comment letters, and compile supporting evidence, citations, and data appendices under the direction of senior staff.
• Track state regulatory proposals, legislative activity, and agency actions relevant to Fulcrum’s research agenda.
• Collect, organize, and document data from government websites, administrative records, and other publicly available sources.
• Help maintain measures of regulatory burden, permitting processes, occupational licensing requirements, and related policy variables.
• Conduct literature reviews and summarize academic and policy research for ongoing projects.
• Draft sections of policy briefs, research summaries, and other written products, and assist with editing and citation.
• Assist with basic descriptive analysis, tables, and charts using spreadsheet or statistical software.
• Participate in research team meetings and contribute to project planning.
  
  

Qualifications

Required:

• Current undergraduate, graduate, or law student, or recent graduate, in economics, public policy, political science, law, public administration, or a related field.
• Strong writing skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to read and accurately summarize dense material such as proposed rules, statutes, and academic research.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines in a remote environment.
• Located in and authorized to work in the United States for the duration of the program, and able to attend all required KIP programming, including the two-day summit in Arlington, Virginia.

Preferred:

• Coursework in economics, statistics, public policy, or administrative law.
• Familiarity with R, Stata, Python, or another statistical program (not required).
• Prior research experience through coursework, a research assistant position, or an internship.
• Interest in state government policy, regulatory institutions, and economic development.