What Is Poverty?


Poverty is something that is all around, but may slip through the cracks of understanding because it seems so foreign at the same time. According to the U.S. census, poverty has slowly increased to what is presently 14.8 percent of the population of the United States. But what exactly is poverty? The short answer would be to simply say that poverty is being poor. However, a better and more exact answer can be offered as well. In essence, 15 out of 100 Americans experience an adverse quality of life that limits their ability to function in society. Their physical, emotional, and social lives are often difficult and painful.

The United States Census Bureau describes poverty by using certain “thresholds” that may vary according to family size or age. For example, the threshold of a single male under the age of 65 is compared to an average salary of an American citizen. If the salary is below the threshold salary, then the household is considered to be in poverty. Furthermore, it should be understood that if the income falls below this line, than everyone in that household is considered to be living in poverty. This includes relatives, children, and anyone else who is dependent on the household income.

The Bureau’s data determines if a household is in poverty, but this does not describe what poverty looks like. An attempt to describe a life in the shoes of someone who lives in poverty was made in a book $2.00 a Day. The reality is that these people are living on almost nothing, but nonetheless, continue to survive in almost any manner possible. “Slums”, as they are sometimes called, are well known for their fading infrastructure, unsafe environment, and numerous crimes all throughout America. This is the only option for many people that suffer in severe poverty, and sadly more people need to relocate to slums each year.

Poverty is truly an ugly thing to behold. Poverty destroys families, deprives its victims of food and even shelter, making daily live extremely difficult. It is rock bottom, and the quality of life can never be compared to someone who does not live in these circumstances. So, now that “Poverty” is defined and understood, what can America do to change it? What can we do to bring victims out of it?

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