Cato Institute General Intern Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 20 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Cato Institute.
Cato Institute
Intern
Intern Average Positive experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
The recruiters are pretty laid back. You'll have a chance to meet with the director of the student program and also the directors of the departments you're interested in. The student program director will ask some general questions, while the departmental directors will dive into more academic and policy-related questions.
Confirmed questions0 questions
No confirmed questions were included in this interview report.
Cato Institute
Intern
Intern Difficult Positive experience Accept offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Take home Technical screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Other
The interview was mostly behavioral, but they also asked some policy-related questions. For policy, it was mainly about libertarianism and also some of the questions that were on the written application before the finalist round.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- Thoughts on libertarianism?
- Questions about policies from the written application?
Cato Institute
Intern
Intern Average Negative experience Decline offer 1 round
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Other
After meeting some reps at a job fair, I was invited in for an interview as a recent grad. It was a pretty strange interview, with one person behind me the whole time checking his phone and chiming in. This was pretty standard for a think tank interview. When I asked about salary as a recent grad, I was first told it was enough to live on. When I pressed, they admitted it was only 700 dollars a month, but they guaranteed me they had at least one intern who managed that by working night shifts at the hostel where he lived, after putting in a full day at Cato. I almost laughed.
Confirmed questions1 question
- How do you feel about working with people who have different political affiliations, for example, anarchists?
Cato Institute General Intern Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Cato Institute interview reports.
“Thoughts on libertarianism?”
Read reports →“What is your least libertarian opinion?”
Read reports →“What is one view you hold that is not libertarian?”
Read reports →“Can you list the four most crucial books related to your political philosophy?”
Read reports →“What role do you believe restraint has in US foreign policy?”
Read report →“What reading has influenced your political philosophy the most?”
Read report →“What is your understanding of libertarianism?”
Read report →“Which part of the constitution do you think is most threatened right now, and explain your reasoning.”
Read report →“Can you share a point of disagreement you have regarding libertarianism?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 20 Cato Institute interview reports.