So, you’re a poverty alleviation policy wonk looking for a blog…

Let’s admit it: it can be difficult to identify good blog-like resources. Some hide their biases, while others are clearly not striving for objectivity. Many of us may turn to academic sources, journals and the like, but there’s not always time for that. Or perhaps you’re looking for that next illusive research question.  What to do?

Below I introduce four sure-bet poverty alleviation policy blogs to jump-start your thinking.

1) CFED’s The Inclusive Economy Blog

http://cfed.org/blog/

The Corporation for Enterprise Development, popularly known as CFED, is a premier think tank concerned with economic opportunity and poverty alleviation. Started in 2008, CFED’s The Inclusive Economy explores cutting-edge developments in the poverty alleviation field. Every week the blog publishes a poverty alleviation “news roundup.”

The Inclusive Economy is a great resource for staying on top of poverty alleviation trends. Because of CFED’s expansive research operations, which their blogs link back to, you can dive as deeply as you’d like on any issue.

2) Economic Policy Institute

http://www.epi.org/blog/

The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) operates a Working Economics blog. Their blog is newer than CFED’s — established in 2011 — so if you are researching policies predating that, this blog may not be for you.

Working Economics is an excellent resource for those who want an in-depth discussion of economic impacts on poverty and labor. The bulk of their writers are economists, and considering that, their blog posts are pretty accessible for laypeople. If you are looking for “the big picture” behind figures like the unemployment rate, the jobs report, and GDP numbers — look here.

3) TalkPoverty.org

 http://talkpoverty.org/talkpoverty-blog/

A project of the Center for American Progress, TalkPoverty.org is a progressive blog funded by the Ford Foundation. The blog focuses on poverty, but also tackles related issues like the prison system and racial justice. TalkPoverty.org also features a weekly podcast “Talk Poverty Radio.”

My favorite part of TalkPoverty.org is found under the Poverty Data tab. There you can find a state-by-state breakdown of poverty and related statistics. The page yields all kinds of interesting statistics, for instance, did you know that Massachusetts has the lowest teen birth rate among states, and the 48^th highest income inequality ratio? Click here for more Massachusetts poverty statistics.

This blog is a great resource if you are looking to learn about poverty from a broad perspective. The podcast tracks current events (this week’s: the Flint Water Crisis).

4) Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, News Section & Spotlight Exclusives

http://spotlightonpoverty.org/news/

Looking for a video-centric blog? Check out the Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity. This blog describes itself as non-partisan collaboration between foundations. While the website isn’t clear who is supporting this blog, it seems that CLASP, the well-known poverty think tank curates much of the content.

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity’s news section collates articles pertinent to the poverty discussion. Its Spotlight Exclusives section features pieces from well-known think tanks (like Demos) and academics. If you’re looking for a fresh perspective from leaders in the field, give the Spotlight Exclusives a look. Like TalkPoverty.org, this blog also has a state-by-state breakdown of poverty indicators. There are more statistics on this blog, but TalkPoverty.org gives ranks states.

What blogs do you use? Comment below.

Responding to "My Parents, My Landlords"

The New York Times recently ran an article entitled “My Parents, My Landlords.” Intending to be humorous while showcasing an important issue, the article fails in both respects. It fails in its humor by discussing the lack of housing affordability for today’s college graduates in a flippant way. It fails in its content by refusing to acknowledge the luxury of parental assistance for wealthy families, especially when viewed in context of America’s socioeconomic state.

Wealthy families are compelled to buy apartments for their children because rental costs are at historically high levels, wages are stagnant, and college debt is soaring. These are serious issues that should not be reduced to a chat on parents as a “benevolent landlords.” The Times seeks to comfort its affluent readers in this humorous analogy instead of discussing the real issues that threaten the socioeconomic foundations of the United States. Shame on the Times.

Here are a few recommendations to the article’s author, Joanne Kaufman. This piece needs a follow-up that details the strife experienced by Communities of Color. If this article is described as humorous, a companion article describing the experience of Communities of Color could be labeled as despairing. Instead of quotes like, “My daughter was looking on 10th Avenue and on 12th Avenue. I didn’t want her walking those streets at 3 a.m.,” perhaps you’d hear something like, “Even though it was more than 30% of our income, and not the safest, we were lucky to find an apartment on 10^th Avenue and 12^th Avenue.” Please note in your article that from 2007 to 2010, the median income of black families fell 10.1%, double the rate of white households. The median wealth held by black families was $4,900 in 2010, compared to a net worth for white families of $97,000.

For me, what has really been humorous has been to watch the pundits on TV puzzle over the cause of Ferguson and the origins of Black Lives Matter. The numbers speak for themselves. I do appreciate your acknowledgment of intergenerational wealth transfers in the perpetuation of wealth inequality on racial lines, but I think you could explore this further (and differently) in your next piece.

So, Ms. Kaufman, perhaps it would be fitting to follow up your article on the unfortunate situation of America’s wealthy (read: largely white) advantaged college graduates, with an article on the inequitable and unacceptable situation faced by Communities of Color. I do suspect, though, it will not be met with the same feelings as your “My Parents, My Landlords” article.

Focusing on my future social policy career!

It's daunting to think about career goals. Doing so can conjure up memories of awkward family holiday parties, where relatives ask, "What do you want to do?" At first, it was an exciting thing to discuss. Nowadays, though — goodness forbid I can't dodge the question — my answer is followed by a mystified look and an "Ohhhh... cool...What's that mean?"

Perhaps a better way for me to think about my career path is to think about the skills I have and those I need to develop. Granted, it is a bit of an odd thing to share on a blog, but, hey, maybe you, my dear reader, will see that some of my inner struggles are also yours.

So, to start with the basics: I am a MPP (Master of Public Policy) and MBA student at the Heller School, Brandeis University. I started five months ago (wow, time flies) not sure of what I had to offer to the social policy field. Maybe it was a bit dangerous to jump into a program, not sure of what I had to offer. What I did know, five months ago, was that public policy is about making reasoned decisions in service of one's fellow citizens. That profession sounded far more appealing than my experience of the legal profession: behaving as a hired gun, obsessively crafting one's arguments day-in and day-out, not in search of truth, but in search of a self-beneficial outcome. I saw public policy, and the work of a policy analyst, as more compatible with my mores and aspirations.

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While back in Western New York during winter break, someone told me what a shame it was that my time at law school was "lost." Honestly, I think this could not be further from the truth. During that year, I gained skills that will nicely accessorize my policy analyst toolbox. I have the ability to intelligently read, research, and work with laws and regulations. My writing skills, both professional and legal writing, improved. Finally, I learned about the legal profession, what makes lawyers tick, and how and where they work in the government. I think this suits me well for a policy analyst job in the legislative branch. I hope to test this hypothesis this summer if I am successful in my application to the Rappaport Fellowship.

Of course, there are things that I do need to learn. First and foremost, I must continue to refine my writing. Over and over again this past weekend I have been thinking about Pascal's quote, "I would have written you a shorter letter if I had more time." The balance between beautiful/persuasive and efficient writing is a difficult one, and different writing styles necessitate efficiency over beauty, and vice versa. Not only that, if I am going to be an efficient policy analyst, I need to learn the terminology used in the field.

Finally, I need to further develop my quantitative research skills. As a Religious Studies undergraduate, this is obviously not my forté. With practice, though, I hope I can sharpen my these skills. Only then can truly approach social policy issues from a holistic, intersectional perspective.