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Definition of Poverty

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Submitted By kashyfsyed
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Poverty is the Constant Fear of the Future
As society moves forward in their pursuit of the American dream, less and less attention is given to the impoverished. The actual definition of a person in poverty is often times debated. Sometimes, there are entire political platforms formed on the basis that the impoverished are not really suffering and that the people have nothing to worry about. In Robert Rector’s article regarding the effectiveness of the poverty safety net, he states that the lower end of society does not need any more help, but their his definition does not include the various problems that poverty entails. He solely focuses on the financial aspect. So, it is important to know the exact definition and parameters of poverty. Poverty is when a person or people live in fear of the inability to provide basic needs for themselves and their loved ones.

With the advancements in the modern era, there is a misunderstanding of what actual poverty is. Although many believe that the lowest levels of society, those who have the lowest incomes and/or no income at all, have the ability to get food stamps and other avenues of aid through the government, they fail to see that the aid is either not sufficient nor does it help sustain a family for the future. Rector says “When the aid an impoverished family is given does not give them comfort for the near future, then the family is in poverty. The same applies to those people that do not get aid in 3rd world countries. I also assert that this fear does not have to relate to one’s financial situation. The fear of death is also a form of poverty because one lives their day fearing the next, ultimately affecting their daily activities. It does not matter if they can drive 3 different Ferraris in a day.
In order to define poverty, a person’s basic needs must also be defined.
“We must talk about poverty, because

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