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

The Koch Associate Program (KAP) is a career accelerator for early to mid-career professionals with a drive to tackle our country’s most pressing challenges in more effective, principled ways. KAP equips associates with the tools, mindsets, and community to succeed as social entrepreneurs—individuals 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 organization—a think tank—dedicated 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 to Cato’s 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 Cato’s 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 Cato’s 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 Cato’s 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 bachelor’s 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.

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.).