Poverty in America: An Overview

Stephanie Tran

Pol S 310
Professor Strohman
Iowa State University

Some people may argue that the American dream is no longer achievable. Perhaps it was, but as time lapses and history takes its course, the pursuit itself may appear meeker. Today, most people would agree that the economy “is bad,” but what does that truly mean? A “bad economy” may impact some families on a more personal level than it appears. There are 20.6 million people in the United States who live in deep poverty, 6 million of whom have no income (Edelman). A family that lives in poverty is not always obvious to the eye. When a person thinks of “poverty,” he or she may think of developing countries with people who live with little to no food, shelter, or clothing. They may think of the too-thin African children in black and white commercials with the sad music trying to guilt viewers to send money. However, in America, poverty is a little more complex than that, and standards for poverty here are different than that of Africa, Asia, or Mexico. While poverty in the United States may still include an income, free education for children, and a place to live, it still may entail food insecurity, debt, lack of basic necessities, and the weight of stress and pressure from society that can take a huge emotional toll on a family. Poverty in the United States is a very real problem, and many people are unaware of the impacts of it. In the United States, the poverty rate is measured by several methods. One way to measure it is by “comparing annual income to a set of dollar values called poverty thresholds that vary by family size, number of children, and the age of the householder (Bishall).” The annual poverty rate is given in a calendar year by taking the income reported of a household. These incomes are collected every few months, which is then divided by