The Land of Unequal Opportunity – Poverty in America
In the United States, the disparities between rich and poor have increased considerably. Low-income people are increasingly unlikely to escape their economic position of poverty. There are few rags-to-riches stories, and poor families are increasing their annual work hours, if they have jobs. Although the United States is the richest country in the world, income inequality is much higher here than in other major countries such as Great Britain, Australia, and Canada (Rand, 2004). Current statistics show that the rich are getting richer, middle-income Americans are stagnating, and the poor are being left behind.
Although the United States is thought of as the land of material wealth and success, poverty has persistently existed since its founding. Large numbers of Americans have been and continue to be poor: they lack the resources to adequately feed, clothe, and shelter themselves according to socially defined standards (Rand, 2004). There are many problems when looking at poverty because it is a problem that permeates all dimensions of culture and society and has different meanings. Social poverty means that some people will be denied the right to a decent education. Political poverty means innocent people are jailed because of the color of their skin and politicians turn a blind eye. Economic poverty means there will be limited employment opportunities for some and inadequate housing.
When people find themselves in poverty, they have to choose between paying the bills and buying clothes and school supplies for their children. When people are poor, their living conditions often lack essentials like gas, water, and electricity. They cannot make life or death decisions because they lack monetary and social capital. In essence, poverty is the state of living without the economic, political and social resources that are necessary and indispensable to achieve success in this society. Poverty is impotence, lack of representation and freedom. The only point at which individuals would not consider themselves poverty-stricken is when there is a fundamental change in the distribution of goods and services in American society and everyone is on a more equal playing field. In the United States, poverty can be defined as biological, meaning that individuals are unable to meet biological needs, and relative, which describes a person as poor compared to other members of their society (Iceland, 2003).
The Census Bureau measures poverty by using a set of monetary income thresholds that are based on family size and structure. If a family’s income falls below that particular threshold, they are considered poor. These thresholds consist of pre-tax money income, such as employment earnings, public assistance, alimony, child support, social security benefits, and trusts. There has been a lot of criticism of the way the Census Bureau measures poverty because it is seen as archaic and miscalculated. The most important aspect used to measure whether an individual lives below the poverty line is income. According to the Census Bureau, only cash income is considered in a family’s income, not other types of government assistance such as food stamps, school lunch programs, and earned income tax credits. A family of four with three children under the age of 18 would be considered poverty-stricken if their total income falls below $19,233. In Chicago, the number of people living below the poverty line fell by six percent, but this does not mean there are fewer people living in poverty. More than half of Chicago’s neighborhood poverty rates have increased.
My definition of poverty is quite different from the one used by the Census Bureau and the OMB because I measure not only economic resources, but also political and social ones. The Census and OGP only measure cash income. The definition used by the Census and the OMB does not allow for constructs such as social and political deprivation. Individuals using this definition obviously do not understand that becoming poor is more than having no money. Poverty is a state of mind that makes people fall behind academically, more likely to commit criminal acts, and lose hope. Poverty not only decimates pocketbooks, but also spirits. There are various ways in which poverty can be conceptualized and operationalized. In 2002, the Census Bureau compared a set of alternative measures designed by the National Academy of Sciences with its own official measure. However, the findings were mixed. Under a set of alternative measures that added non-monetary benefits, the poverty rate increased. That’s why the Census Bureau uses its official measure. America wants to pretend that poverty doesn’t exist, and if it does exist, only a select few are actually afflicted, usually people of color.
The existence of poverty in America is a complex situation and so are the solutions needed to correct it. Huge campaign contributions from big corporations and wealthy individuals dominate politics, economics, and social policies in this country. The needs of the poor are not on the agendas of these individuals. Because of those in power, there are conservative government policies that undermine aid to the disadvantaged and line the pockets of the privileged. The various debates about whether the official measure of poverty is correct are stupid and do not change this fact: America has forgotten a certain segment of people based on their economic background.
Some have argued that the pace of economic growth has been insufficient to eliminate poverty, while others argue that the cause is due to an unequal distribution of income. Some see the poor as lacking the skills or the will to escape their condition; others see the economy as dependent on the poor to provide a low-wage workforce for various industries. This lack of agreement has long been a feature of public disagreement about poverty. As long as American society is one of conflict between classes, poverty will continue to exist and will add fire to the many other social problems that currently exist.
