Separate the policy topic from your daily work
Policy research can involve collecting evidence, evaluating policies and communicating findings. But an organization working on a policy issue may also need correspondence, scheduling or program support. Check the advertised assignment before deciding which sample to send.
| Search | Question to ask | Sample to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Policy research; program evaluation | What decision or research question would I support? | A short memo with evidence, options and a recommendation |
| Legislative intern | How much work is research, correspondence or office support? | A clear issue summary or audience-appropriate response |
| Government affairs; advocacy | Whose position would I help communicate? | A sourced brief that separates the organization's argument from the evidence |
| Public administration; program operations | Which service or process would I help run? | A process explanation or a checked service-delivery report |
Sources[1]
Put the decision and constraint in the first paragraph
A memo should let a busy reader find the proposed action, its cost and the main uncertainty without reading a literature review first. The fictional library case below funds 24 staff-hours per week and needs two staff for each additional opening hour. That buys 12 opening hours, not 24.
Example opening to a decision memo
Explain what the evidence does not represent
Ten comments asking for evening hours are not automatically ten times the demand represented by one weekend comment. People who leave comments may differ from the people unable to use the service. State how the evidence was collected before treating it as a population estimate.
For a real writing sample, cite the original data or policy text and distinguish your recommendation from the source's findings. Read the organization's mission and the role's communication responsibilities. Research and advocacy can use similar documents for different purposes.
Use the application route for that institution
A federal announcement, a legislative office and a nonprofit may use different application processes. Follow the exact posting for degree, enrollment, location, work authorization, deadlines and writing-sample requirements. Do not assume that eligibility for one route establishes eligibility for another.
For a requested two-page sample, submit a self-contained two-page argument rather than an unexplained extract from a longer paper. Include enough source information that the reader can check the central claim.
Ask who uses the intern's work
Ask: Who would read my work, and what would they do with it? Then ask how the supervisor checks sources and provides revisions. The answer distinguishes a research assignment from an administrative role with a policy-related title.
Confirm pay, hours and the actual location alongside the subject matter. In the interview, be ready to explain one recommendation you would change if a key assumption changed. The worked case below gives you a small example to practice.