The economic consequences will be severe for future generations if we do not take swift action. We know the path to cut poverty, have done it before , and have the policy prescriptions to address the challenges that families and the nation now face.
The new report from Half in Ten outlines a broad policy framework that would help develop more good jobs, strengthen and protect families, and place more Americans on a path to economic stability. We have the blueprint for action.
Now we need to act. Individuals Poverty affects more Americans than we think While Rising poverty among children is particularly harmful to society In more than one in five children— 22 percent —lived below the official poverty line. Poverty increases health risks Poor children are much more likely to have lower birth weight , and infants living in poor households face higher rates of food insecurity, which impairs healthy development.
Poverty weakens families Low-income and poor families face significant economic pressure as they struggle to pay bills and make ends meet. Poverty traps individuals and decreases mobility Children who grow up in poor families are more likely to be poor as adults compared to children from upper-income families, undermining the American Dream. United States Poverty costs our economy billions of dollars annually High rates of poverty hurt everyone in the United States because it strips limited resources from the government that could be invested in other areas to promote economic growth.
Poverty weakens communities and access to the American Dream The long-term impact of concentrated poverty contributes greatly to the increasing income and wealth gap in the United States. Poverty lowers U. Poverty weakens our democracy Disparities of income, wealth, and access to opportunity are growing more sharply in the United States. Conclusion These 10 reasons showing why cutting poverty in half in 10 years is good for our nation underscore the need for a comprehensive set of reforms to create greater opportunity for all and reduce the number of families who live in poverty.
Crowley is a doctoral candidate in the sociology department at Ohio State University. Resource Library. American Attitudes About Poverty and the Poor. Article Details Date May 30, Author Population Reference Bureau. Poverty in America: Beyond Welfare Reform.
Focus Area Inequality and Poverty. Skip to content. Who benefits from poverty? Low wage employment fries with that order? Domestic work gets done. Not just hotels, but among the upper income classes. Professional and business niches get created.
Recycling contributions. Poverty helps with the recycling of goods and incompetent professionals. Imagine that you have to go to work, but there are no roads to get you there. Or heavy rains have flooded your route and made it impossible to travel. A lack of infrastructure — from roads, bridges, and wells, to cables for light, cell phones, and internet — can isolate communities living in rural areas. Living off the grid often means living without the ability to go to school, work, or the market to buy and sell goods.
Traveling further distances to access basic services not only takes time, it costs money, keeping families in poverty. Isolation limits opportunity. Without opportunity, many find it difficult, if not impossible, to escape extreme poverty. Many people living in the United States are familiar with social welfare programs that people can access if they need healthcare or food assistance.
Ineffective governments also contribute to several of the other causes of extreme poverty mentioned above, as they are unable to provide necessary infrastructure or healthcare, or ensure the safety and security of their citizens in the event of conflict.
This might seem like a no-brainer: Without a job or a livelihood, people will face poverty. Dwindling access to productive land often due to conflict, overpopulation, or climate change and overexploitation of resources like fish or minerals puts increasing pressure on many traditional livelihoods.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo DRC for example, most of the population lives in rural communities where natural resources have been plundered over centuries of colonial rule — while conflict over land has forced people away from their source of income and food.
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