Getting Placed
“I remember yet the October afternoon when [our cohort] met, (caucused to use the political jargon), and agreed that while we were competitive and aggressive people, we would forego those well tuned skills in the interest of collaboration and mutual support.
We literally divided the labor and systematically surveyed the possibilities. Telephone calls, interviews, taps on the grapevine about this or that office were all done by each of us for all of us.
We selected our own positions individually with the advice and support of the group, but sinsce the possibilities were virtually unlimited, we all found good spots without the slightest jockeying for positions.”
— Margaret Heagarty, 1976-1977 Fellow
Interviewing for a placement in congress was a highly fascinating experience. For the rest of my life I shall cherish the memory of the look on the face of an Eagleton staffer when he discovered that his prospective employee was a psychiatrist.
— Federick B. Glaser, 1974-1975
When the fellowship began, fellows were encouraged to served in two different offices — one in the Senate and one in the House. This recommendation was based on the organization of the APSA Congressional Fellowship. In 1974, all but one fellow held two placements; in 1975 and 1977, four out of six fellows held two placements; in 1976, only two fellows held two placements. The number of fellows holding two placements during their fellowship year continued to decline, with most fellows choosing to spend more time in one office than splitting their time across two offices.
[NOTE FOR NAM: I COULD ADD MORE ABOUT GUIDANCE OVER THE YEARS TO FELLOWS ABOUT INTERVIEWING AND CHOOSING, BUT I’M NOT SURE IT IS NECESSARY — WOULD LOVE YOUR INPUT.]
Fellows generally cite three main considerations when interviewing and selecting a placement office:
Personal Connection
Jurisdiction
Legislative Focus
Some statistics...
Type of Placement Office
Distribution of States for Personal Office Placements
Placement Office’s Political Affiliation Distribution
Your Title Goes Here
In the last 50 years, only three offices have hosted more than ten fellows: Senator Jay Rockefeller, Senator Edward Kennedy, and Senator Orrin Hatch. Senator Rockefeller hosted 16 fellows over the course of his 30 years in the U.S. Senate. Senator Hatch hosted 13 fellows and Senator Kennedy hosted 11 fellows.
The Rockefellows: 1990–2013
Senator Edward Rockefeller (D-MA)
The Hatchlings: 1985–2012
The Kennedy Cohort: 1983–2000
