People interested in DC policy work sometimes wonder whether certain activities might make them look partisan. If you are worried about this, it’s worth being mindful of activities that can—intentionally or not—be interpreted as politically coded. For example, some aspects of your background that can be interpreted as partisan might shape your future career opportunities in policy or politics.
Activities that can tag you as partisan include:
- Working or interning for partisan organizations (e.g. congressional offices, political campaigns, partisan think tanks, the White House, political appointee roles, or running for office)
- Selecting a party affiliation when registering to vote, which is made public by all states; voting in a party’s primary is also made public and can be interpreted as a signal of your partisan loyalty
- Donating to a political candidate, even just a few dollars (with few exceptions, political donations will create a searchable public record, e.g. see these databases, where you can search for your name)
- Engaging with political groups (e.g. involvement with a political party group on campus, especially if your name and affiliation are mentioned online, such as in a student newspaper)
- Publicly writing, posting, or speaking about political topics (e.g. posting or commenting on Twitter or Facebook; speaking to a journalist about a politically-coded topic; or writing or commenting in an online blog/forum)
Signaling a clear political affiliation can have both upsides and downsides.
On the negative side, a partisan affiliation can significantly limit your future options in the policy/political worlds by making it harder to switch. If you’re affiliated with one party, it can be difficult to (ever) pursue career opportunities (e.g. internships, jobs, political appointments, running for office) associated with the other party. In some cases, even small actions from several years ago (e.g. donations to political candidates, public voter registrations) can render you ineligible for certain policy positions; this applies particularly in political contexts involving significant partisan vetting (e.g. political appointments and some influential policy positions, such as in the National Security Council). Depending on your own political leanings and career aspirations, you might want to weigh the potential benefits and costs of the above partisan actions, considering the impact on your future career options.
On the positive side, partisan signals can help you get (but are usually not necessary for) certain opportunities affiliated with your party by demonstrating your engagement and alignment. For example, leading a party’s college chapter or volunteering for a political campaign might increase your chances of getting a congressional internship with Members of that party, or a political appointment in an administration led by that party.
Whether you should avoid a partisan affiliation depends on your personal beliefs and professional goals. If you have strong partisan convictions, avoiding the above signals is less important since you’re less likely to pursue future opportunities with the opposing party. Carefully consider the partisan signals you’re sending, but don’t be alarmed by them—they will typically fade in importance over time, and many policy employers don’t care much or at all about them (especially for internships or entry-level roles).
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