Poverty The United States is one of the richest nations in the world. Yet not all share equally in this prosperity.

Defining Poverty in the US poverty In general, poverty can be defined as a standard of living that is below the minimum level considered decent and reasonable by society. poverty The federal government defines poverty in relation to the minimum annual income needed by a family to survive. Not every person in our society runs a equal risk of being poor.

Defining Poverty Measuring poverty is a complex matter that must take into account many influences on costs of living The US Census uses a Poverty Line based on income and the number of members in the family to define poverty.

2009 US Poverty Guidelines Persons in Family Unit 48 Contiguous States and D.C.AlaskaHawaii 1$ 10,830$13,530$12, ,57018,21016, ,31022,89021, ,05027,57025, ,79032,25029, ,53036,93033, ,27041,61038, ,01046,29042,560 For each additional person, add 3,740 4,680 4,300

Characteristics that affect poverty  Race and ethnicity: most of the poor are white, however, Latinos and African Americans are more likely to be poor than whites  Female head of the households  Region: some areas of the country present fewer economic opportunities

Characteristics that affect poverty Age: Older people are more likely to live in poverty Disabilities: Disabilities often mean that people cannot be employed full-time, and as a result, about a fifth of all disabled people live below the poverty line

The Effects of Poverty Life Chances: refers to the likelihood individuals have of sharing in the opportunities and benefits of society. –Health –Length of life –Housing –Education

Life Chances Research has shown that life chances vary by social class The lower their social class, the less opportunity individuals have to share in the benefits of society The poor are at serious disadvantage in all of the life chances

Government’s Response to Poverty WIC Food Stamps Head Start Housing (HUD) Social Security Welfare Unemployment