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Poverty In America Summary

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Living in America, citizens should be well aware of the poverty issues that strike the country everyday. With the poverty rates increasing, Americans are pleading the government for aid in providing food and shelter for their families. In “Poverty in America: Why Can’t We End It,” author Peter Edelman, asserts that poverty can be fixed if the people have interest to do so. He includes statistics and reasons that explain the rise of poverty in America and possible solutions to the problem of poverty. Edelman stated that although the numbers of poverty have declined, there are still 15 million more people who are poor today. The government has also taken action to decrease the numbers of citizens in need of aid and keep 40 million people out of poverty by giving: Social Security, food stamps, cash assistance and programs. The author explains that even though there are still individuals who need aid, the numbers would have been double without government assistance. Edelman …show more content…

With these reasons, the author believes that people power wins in most situations and includes examples from history to make his claim. Edelman rounded up a few solutions including: making the rich to pay their fair share of running the country, provide healthcare and a safety net, and raise the minimum wage for jobs. He states that lower-income individuals will participate in making a change if there are candidates who stand for their situation. The people have the power to make changes if it is in their interest to do so. Food stamps, created in 1977, benefits low-income citizens by allowing citizens to acquire food through vouchers given by the

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