Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) - State Policy Fellowship Program

The Fellowship program has three main goals:

• Making a difference for low-income families and communities: State Policy Fellows tackle domestic policy challenges by analyzing state budgets and tax policy choices, understanding their impact on low-income residents, and proposing positive alternatives.  Their budget and tax work often intersects with other policies areas including health care, anti-poverty policy, education, immigration, state-tribal policy, and criminal legal system reform. Working in independent, highly respected policy organizations located across the country, Fellows work with community partners to promote positive reforms.
• Bringing diverse perspectives to state policy debates: To expand the diversity of voices that speak with authority in state policy debates, the program identifies highly motivated candidates who have a demonstrated interest in working on public policies that affect low-income communities, communities of color, LGBTQ communities, rural communities, and tribal communities, with particular interest in candidates who are from or have experience with communities that are underrepresented in state policy debates.
• Launching careers: State Policy Fellows spend two years with an influential state-based policy organizations learning on the job and gaining valuable policymaking experience. Fellows research and analyze current policy issues; brief policymakers, journalists, and civic leaders; and engage with advocates and community groups. Fellows meet regularly with the other Fellows in their cohort and receive training and career development, will work with mentors, and will have access to ongoing opportunities for professional growth. 

The Fellowship is a project of the State Priorities Partnership, a national network coordinated by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, one of the nation’s premier policy institutes. Fellows will receive training and career development, will work with mentors, and will have access to ongoing opportunities for professional growth.

Fellowship Responsibilities

State Policy Fellows will work as research analysts as they:

• Develop expertise in state budget and tax policies,
• Dive deeper in specialty areas such as health care, housing, immigration, education finance, tribal policy, family economic security, economic development, and criminal legal system reform.
• Collaborate with community-based advocates to develop community-centered reforms and policy proposals.
• Produce reports and other materials for use by policymakers, journalists, advocacy groups, and civic organizations.
• Track and analyze legislative proposals and state budget developments.
• Engage with media, policymakers and their staffs, and a broad array of state and community organizations to help inform and shape policy debates.