Probing Poverty
Ethan Andrews '16
“Writing can bring great joy, especially when you say something you believe in,” says Ethan Andrews ’16, an economics major who’s investigating the systems and policies that underlie income inequities. Here, Ethan discusses the internship and publication that taught him this lesson, what he misses most about studying abroad in London, his interest in poetry and his research into the War on Poverty.
Major:
Clubs and organizations:
Strategic Planning Committee.
Favorite book:
Bluets by Maggie Nelson is phenomenal.
Favorite movie:
Wedding Crashers.
On choosing a major:
I think I’ve always been interested in how a society functions in material terms, and what followed that initial interest was an affinity for economics. I wanted to go beyond the accounts of why some people have a lot and others have little in order to understand the market systems and policies that undergird those inequities.
Favorite place on campus:
East College.
Favorite Dining Hall food:
Parmesan rice.
About my research:
I’m currently researching the legacy of the War on Poverty. I am evaluating the successes and failures of the programs implemented by the Johnson administration in actually improving the welfare of America’s poor. It seems to me that there is a lot of hyperbole and political rhetoric cast around on the subject of welfare policy, coming from both sides of the spectrum. I hope that this study will provide a more substantive understanding of the efficacy of our social safety net. I am still in the weeds, but I’m inclined to say that Reagan was off the mark in his assessment of America’s welfare system.
As a kid, I wanted to be …
… a golf-course designer.
Most important thing I’ve learned so far:
That writing can bring great joy, especially when you say something you believe in.
On studying abroad:
I studied at University College London last spring. I miss walking in Regents Park and the wonderfully stoic English people.
Post-Dickinson plans:
I hope to continue researching economic policy at a think tank or university, likely in an assistant role. I’m particularly interested in welfare and education policy, as well as income inequality. That type of position would provide the technical acumen and research focus to pursue a graduate degree in economics or public policy. If that doesn’t work out, I may move out West and be a rock climbing vagabond or baker’s apprentice.
If I could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, it would be …
… Albert Camus.
Proudest accomplishment:
Writing not utterly terrible poetry.
Favorite class:
It’s hard to pick, but I particularly enjoyed Anarchism with Professor [Crispin] Sartwell. As part of preparing engaged citizens, Dickinson encourages its students to be critical of the status quo and to scrutinize social and political hierarchies; in no pursuit is this attitude so actively cultivated than in studying anarchist theory.
About my internship:
I interned for Coastal Enterprises Inc. (CEI) this past summer, working primarily for the Loan Group. CEI is a community-development financial institution that invests in socially and environmentally sustainable businesses throughout Maine. I am attracted to the field of opportunity finance and economic development, and I was impressed with CEI’s impact on Maine’s small business economy.
What I learned:
I engaged in a range of projects throughout the summer that included analyzing risk in CEI’s loan portfolio and crafting investment memos. Additionally, I was fortunate to work with CEO Ron Phillips on an article he was writing for the Maine Policy Review about the history and potential of impact investing. I co-edited the article and produced visuals. The experience was not only an education in the field of impact investing and the policies that support it but also my first chance to collaborate on a written piece intended for publication.
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Published May 16, 2016