Poverty in United States

Who/What is Poverty• Definition: The state of being

extremely poor

• The US determines poverty based on income compared to money required to raise families of various sizes

• Majority: In 2010, 27.4% of African Americans and 26.4% of Hispanics were poverty stricken

• Single moms have the highest poverty rate at 31.6%

Where is poverty concentrated?

• Poverty is concentrated in major cities

• Major cities are larger markets thus drawing in more businesses and jobs but the supply of workers is greater than the demand of jobs

• Regional wise Poverty is concentrated in the South

Why is there Poverty• Outsourcing of jobs has disposed of many good paying jobs to other countries

• Capitalism- most Americans are in the Working Class

• Issues with the government and their spending/debt

• Rich get richer, poor get poorer

Comparing US to UK on Poverty

• US: 1 in 6 live in poverty compared to 1 in 5 in the UK

• Similar Child Poverty statistics (among leaders in Child Poverty in Industrialized Countries)

• Both have national organizations to help prevent poverty and help those in need

Solutions to Poverty

• National Law Center on Homeless and Poverty - Create housing options for the homeless, provide aid for the poor, and use laws to help assist the poor (http://www.nlchp.org)

• Oxfam - United Kingdom’s counterpart to the NLCHP, which helps put food on the table and find housing for the poor along with many other relative actions to Human Rights (http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk)

Other Solutions

• GoodWill - Take donations from people to give to poor who can’t afford things such as clothes or furniture (http://www.goodwill.org)

What can I do?• Donate money to organizations that assist in poverty help

• Donate old clothes (Hand-me-downs) to places like Goodwill

• Give spare change to needy homeless people

• Offer to buy a homeless person a warm meal

Works Cited

• "Why Is There Poverty?." Allan G Johnson. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2014. <http://www.agjohnson.us/essays/poverty/>.

• "National Poverty Center | University of Michigan." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2014. <http://www.npc.umich.edu/poverty/>.

• "National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty - Home Page." National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty - Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2014. <http://www.nlchp.org>.

• "." BBC News. BBC, 3 Jan. 2005. Web. 25 May 2014. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/4307745.stm>.