I don’t know about you, but in the relatively short time that I’ve been politically aware, I’ve become very skeptical of politicians. It seems that they spend most of their time begging for money – or fundraising as they like to call it – so that they can win their race and get the power to decide what to do with the money that we are forced to give them through taxes. I’m further confused by the fact that I can’t give a Senator money (read: bribe) to get a bill passed, but if I throw him a fundraiser and pay a lobbyist to “lobby” him to get a bill passed, it’s ok. If this bothers you too, an internship with MAPLight.org is a great way to do something about it. The MAP in MAPLight stands for Money And Politics. They provide a website that “brings together campaign contributions and how legislators vote, providing an unprecedented window into the connections between money and politics.”
MAPLight.org’s website feels a lot like what you’d find from a Web 2.0 startup. It’s an awesome implementation of a “mashup” – take a few different data sources, mash them together, and create amazing value for users. They’ve started by covering the California Legislature and U.S. Congress, but we imagine that they’ll expand as their service begins to grow in popularity. There’s no sense in telling you more about their site, when the the best way to learn more about it is to use it. We recommend that you first watch the MAPLight Video Tour, since their interface could stand to be a bit more intuitive. The site is getting decent traffic, but MAPLight still has a long way to go before they become a serious voice in the discussion about political transparency.
Like what you see? Then you should consider interning with MAPLight as a Political Reform Research Intern (Idealist posting). Interns at MAPLight review primary source legislative data, research special interest donors and industries, and track legislation. This particular internship is for the Fall semester, has flexible start and end dates, and requires a commitment of at least 10 hours per week. It’s unpaid, but there is some sort of stipend available. You can do some work from your dorm/home/library, but they’ll want you to come into their Berkeley, CA office occasionally. If MAPLight has you excited about political transparency and accountability, then send a resume and cover letter to susannah@maplight.org.
Links to Help You Begin Your Research
What do you think of MAPLight’s mashup?
Do I Know Anyone at MAPLight.org? - Check LinkedIn | Check Facebook
Tags: California, Internships, non-profit, public policy, research, unpaid
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