[Skill profile] “Policy and political skills” by Benjamin Hilton, Benjamin Todd

Working in policy can be a rewarding and high-impact way of changing the world for the better. Learn how to get started.

Narrated by AI.

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Outline:

(01:11) Key facts on fit

(01:33) Why are policy and political skills valuable?

(02:25) Governments (and other powerful institutions) have a huge impact in the world

(03:53) Governments and other major institutions play a major role in addressing the world's most pressing problems

(06:49) You can create change

(13:53) But you'll need to use your influence responsibly

(15:55) What does using a policy and political skill set involve?

(20:15) Example people

(20:19) Tom Kalil

(20:46) Beth Cameron

(21:08) How to evaluate your fit

(21:40) How to predict your fit in advance

(25:46) How to tell if you're on track

(27:54) How to get started building policy and political skills

(30:16) Fellowships and leadership schemes

(31:17) Graduate school

(33:20) Working for a politician or on a political campaign

(34:45) Roles in the executive branch

(35:34) Think tank roles

(37:22) Other options

(37:49) Find jobs that use policy and political skills

(38:04) Once you have these skills, how can you best apply them to have an impact?

(39:04) Improving the implementation of policies

(40:43) Bringing ideas for new policies to the attention of important decision makers

(42:33) Coming up with ideas for new policies

(44:35) Career paths we've reviewed that use these skills

(45:10) Learn more about government and policy

(46:02) Explore other useful skills

The original text contained 4 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

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First published:
September 18th, 2023

Last updated:
December 14th, 2023

Source:
https://80000hours.org/skills/political-bureaucratic

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.