So Rich, So Poor by Peter Edelman Essay

In the United States, Americans are painfully aware that poverty is a massive upsurge. Americans are getting poor and poor by the minute and that’s a problem. In the book “Men We Reaped” Jesmyn Ward explains that society sees our life being worth nothing. If I had the choice to change poverty I would raise the minimum wage so more people would want to work and the money can at least accommodate for a 3 house family with one person working.

This demonstrates that if Sam’s school had got more funding then Sam may have received a proper education, and would have learned the intellectual skills that could help him to obtain a high paying job. Unlike many other people in richer parts of America who are able to achieve a lot in life due to their education, Sam’s lack of wealth ruins his future. Another example is one that hits closer to home- in terms of educational funding, the Illinois system is corrupt, and one of the districts that suffers most is that of Chicago Public Schools. In an interview with Ryan Young from CNN and an anonymous Chicago Public School teacher over the recent strike over budget cuts and the overall lack in school funding, the teacher states, “We care about the students. We want funding for our schools so our children can have supplies… gym, art, and PE., just like the kids in the suburbs do.” This is a direct representation of what is occurring in the Chicago Public School system today as a consequence of budget cuts and unequal funding. In general, the lack of school funding gives poorer children disadvantages when it comes to supplies that can help them to thrive. Also, budget cuts weaken the capacity of schools’ to develop the intelligence and creativity of the next generation of workers. In fact,, funding cuts lessen the ability of the schools to help prepare children better for their future, such as improving teacher

The book “The Other America”, written by Michael Harrington, describes poverty in America in the 1950s and 1960s, when America became one of the most affluent and advanced nations in the world. The book was written in 1962, and Harrington states that there were about 50,000,000 (about 25% of the total population) poor in America at that time. The author did extensive research with respect to the family income levels to derive the poverty numbers, and used his own observations and experiences to write this book. This book addresses the reasons for poverty, the nature of poverty, the culture of poverty, the blindness of Middle Class America with respect to poverty, and the responsibility of all Americans in addressing the issue of poverty in America.

Education has been the subject of some of the most heated discussions in American history. It is a key point in political platforms. It has been subject to countless attempts at reform, most recently No Child Left Behind and Common Core. Ardent supporters of institutional schools say that schools provide access to quality education that will allow the youth of our country to gain necessary skills to succeed in life. Critics take a far more cynical view. The book Rereading America poses the question, “Does education empower us? Or does it stifle personal growth by squeezing us into prefabricated cultural molds?” The authors of this question miss a key distinction between education and schooling that leaves the answer far from clear-cut. While education empowers, the one-size-fits-all compulsory delivery system is stifling personal growth by squeezing us into prefabricated cultural molds.

Poverty is present in today’s U.S. social system. For example, as Lesser states in the Clearinghouse Review, “Forty-six million Americans live in poverty” (1). Lesser then goes on to say how forty-six million Americans living in poverty correlates to almost one in every three single-parent families is poor (1). This is a daunting fact as it applies to today’s economic context with “rising unemployment rates and mortgage crises driving more individuals and families to seek the support of a cash-strapped social welfare structure” (Grijalva 1). With this in mind, many legislators are discussing the topic of poverty in the political realm. In order to tally the score of representatives the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law conducted its sixth annual Poverty Scorecard. “The 2012 Poverty Scorecard grades the voting record of every U.S. senator and representative on the most important poverty-related votes in 2012” (Lesser 1). The 2012 votes covered a range of topics such as budget and tax, food and nutrition, health care, housing, and many more (1). The results of the 2012 Poverty

It's hard to believe in a country as wealthy as the United States, that we have the problem of poverty. Poverty has not become a recent problem of our

Many reforms in the UnitedStates have been passed to help fight against the “War on Poverty”; but it has not been effective in eradicating poverty in the U.S. There are about 46 million people who are living in impoverished conditions and poverty continues to be a social issue in this country (Heritage Foundation, 2011) In the beginning, our country was formed under the belief that “this land is the land of opportunity and if we worked hard enough the American Dream can be gained” (Schwarz, 1997). People immigrate to this country today in hopes of becoming rich so they could gain a better life. In spite of coming to this country for a better life, many are faced with the lack of skills and money to succeed. In the end, most will end

Stumbling upon the word “poverty” can bring many ideas to mind. The common image could be a man with a ratted out brown and green beanie, dropping face, old and tattered clothes, while holding a cardboard sign saying “will work for food”. And along that will come a thought of drugs or some type of alcoholic issue that landed him in his present position. However many do not see what factors into poverty nor the reality of how poverty looks. Today in society, poverty can stick to someone just as gum sticks to a shoe. Though it affects half of the population, this issue still grows amongst us with minimal change. Peter Singer offers a solution saying, “The formula is simple: whatever money you’re spending on luxuries, not necessities, should be given away.” (Singer). Life is not about

Imagine this: you go to your fridge or your cupboard and find nothing…..there is no food. You go to your wallet and there is no money to feed your family. More than 45 million people in the United States live in poverty as of now. That is 14.5 percent of Americans in the United States. That is an extremely high number. It is vital that we take control of this poverty issue at hand before it is too late.

Half of the world’s population lives on less than two dollars and fifty cents a day (“Quick Facts About Poverty). In a country where the vast majority of things cost more than a mere two dollars and fifty cents, that is a startling fact. Here in the United States we enjoy large, multiple roomed, houses with all sorts of utilities and plenty of food. Poverty barely affects us, but we are still aware of it. Two TED talks, one by Gary Haugen and the other by Paul Romer, provide potential solutions to the problem of poverty in the world. Haugen, in his presentation “The Hidden Reason for Poverty the World Needs to Address Now”, claims that current poverty relief efforts don’t address the cause of poverty and suggests that programs

"In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of. "An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.” All over the world, disparities between the rich and poor are rising every day; even the wealthiest nations are facing the same issues on daily bases. Poverty is one of the greatest issue going on around the world for several hundred years or being specifically; Poverty is the scarcity or the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Poverty is a multifaceted concept, which may include social, economic, and political elements. One is considered poor if he/she is below the poverty line and it’s different in every country depending on countries population and GDP. Even the superpower of the world; United States got trapped in this cycle of poverty. Current estimates on poverty in the U.S. The official poverty rate is 13.5 percent, based on the U.S. Census Bureau's 2015 estimates. A person earning less $15,060 a year is considered poor according to the federal poverty level, an estimated 43.1 million Americans lived in poverty according to the official measure. According to supplemental poverty measure, the poverty rate was 14.3 percent. In the sea of poverty, half of the world population is drowning, and There is only handful number of people who are actually becoming “successful” and wealthy while a majority of the population is

Poverty surrounds us within our daily lives. As Paul Wellstone states, “More than 35 million Americans – one out of every seven of our fellow citizens – are officially poor. More than one in five children American children are poor. And the poor are getting poorer” (676). The harsh reality of these circumstances are that we do not constantly see it. While many may choose to overlook poverty, there are methods that can be instituted to help reduce and eliminate this deficiency. Poverty can be eliminated by improving education, reducing unintended pregnancies among young woman, and generating new jobs with higher pay.

Many people believe that America has one of the most powerful economies that is involved in the global market and the best average living standards, but is this statement really true? Since the creation of the United States it is known as the land of endless opportunities, regardless of social and economic classes. Under this philosophy, all citizens should have equal rights and opportunities to progress in the workforce. However, many people are living full lives and do not encounter financial obstacles. Even so, millions of people are faced with poor living conditions and struggle with providing basic needs for their families, (Proctor 2016). Whether people believe poverty and inequality exists in America or not, the authors in the four different articles think otherwise: “Culture of Success” By Brink Lindsey, “A Great Time to Be Alive?” by Matt Yglesias, and “Born Poor and Smart” by Angela Locke, and “The War Against the Poor Instead of Programs to End Poverty”by Herbert J. Gans, shared ideas on how to help fix the problems of the impoverished community and address the cause of the problem. In addition, the four articles explain different biases that the impoverished have to endure everyday.

Through every country around the globe and even on a national level, through states, cities, and even towns, poverty is lurking. In the United States, “The official poverty rate is 13.5 percent, based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015 estimates,” which means that an “estimated 43.1 million Americans,” (UC Davis) are living in poverty. To an extent, as American citizens, we have a duty to help those trapped in this devastating hardship, not just in our country, but around the world. On the contrary, there are also many reasons to why we shouldn’t give a hand to those stuck in poverty.

Through her innovative research on American poverty, Kathryn Edin found that nearly 1.5 million American households were living on essentially $2.00 a day. In addition, this number affects an estimated 3 million children. Without a doubt, this massive number strikes the question how has poverty gotten this out of hand? Through the reading, Edin provides multiple plausible causations. From Ronald Reagan’s 1976 political campaign to Bill Clinton’s 1993 Welfare reform, both plans for action still affects American society today.