The 2012 Washington, D.C. Internship Blog

This internship has changed my understanding of politics by making it a more personal and intimate process. Before coming to DC, I had studied politics largely in terms of theory, data collection, and news stories. I understood the process involved in making or not making things happen in Washington, and I could identify the factors that influence government in various ways. Even though I knew who held positions in Washington, I would often analyze politicians as if they were operating as robots in a game that could be won if manipulated correctly and consistently. Meeting with speakers has helped the astonishing fact sink in—politicians aren’t superheroes and villains that run around with infinite knowledge and ability. In fact, the government is run by human beings that are definitely constrained by their own limitations as a species.
This concept became especially true to me when I went to a hearing on energy efficient retrofitting and Al Franken presided on the panel. I was astonished by how unimpressive his presence actually was- especially when he stood up and I realized he is very short and rather nonthreatening.  I am also starting to understand that Congress isn’t necessarily as interested in information gathering as one might expect.

Today I went to a Senate hearing about financing sustainable retrofits for infrastructure. The hearing took place in the Russell building, and I was very excited because the witnesses were supposed to testify to a full Senate Committee. When I got to the hearing room, I was at first surprised by imbalance of people in the room. The staff section was overflowing with people, while the panel area for Senate members only housed Al Franken. I was surprised and disappointed to realize that ‘full committee’ could possibly just mean ‘Al Franken and the unenthusiastic chairman.’

My internship has allowed me to further understand that the bureaucracy is not some evil machine that only serves to turn good policy into mush. Neither is it really under the control of the Executive or the Legislative branch, as we are lead to believe in our studies of American Politics. My time working in the bureaucracy has shown me that the bureaucracy is not ill intentioned or filled with stupid people, but rather it is filled with friendly and kind people that have personal interpretations of how laws should be implemented. Each agency bonds together and takes a certain stance on various issues despite what the President and Congress pass into law. I reality, I have always known that the bureaucracy is not filled with malicious people yet, through my academic understanding of politics, it became that in my mind.

My time in Washington has also taught me that networking is best done when it is genuine. I have always been ill-at-ease with the concept of networking because I have never enjoyed small talk. However, I have found that the closest connections I make are ones where I am appreciated for my personality as it is. I went beyond my comfort zones in some situations, but for the most part I have made close connections with people that naturally click with me. This is the closest type of network to have, and ironically it is also the easiest to acquire. My political understanding has completely changed because I am starting to understand how informal political processes become when they are not in the public limelight. Staffing, for example, seems to be almost completely about networking and whether or not a person’s personality matches the feel of the agency. From what I can tell about my internship site , they do not hire unless there is a position open, and they personally know the new employee. This hiring system is especially true for their executive positions.