Who Is To Blame For Poverty In America
Poverty in America: Who is to Blame?
You see them on the street corners. The poor, the seemingly hopeless, holding up their cardboard signs, and asking for help. Their eyes meet yours and you cannot help but look away in disgust. You work hard for your money. Why should you give it away to a stranger who looks perfectly capable of earning a living? If this is true, why do you feel a sense of shame when you pass them by? Who is to blame for poverty in America? The poor in America are seen as being less than human because of their economic status. In the article Poverty and Class: Discussing the Undiscussible, John Korsomo PhD., of Human Resources and Rehabilitation, Western Washington University talks about the transformation of his …show more content…
own ill-conceived views about the poor in America. Dr. Korsomo believes that his views were biased about the poor until he became a service provider working with individuals who are considered to be living below our nation’s poverty level (Source 1). There is a tendency to treat poor people negatively based upon their economic status rather than looking at them as a valued human being (Source 1). Further evidence (Source 2) found that individuals who are poor have become a social class that is seen as being lazy, uneducated, minority groups who are highly dependent upon government programs and subsidies to make a living within our country. America’s lack of knowledge about the poor population can be attributed to our tendency to segregate less desirable individuals and an attitude of out-of-site-out-of-mind philosophy (Source 1 no page). If we marginalize the poor and rely on government agencies to take care of this so called “problem population” there is almost an “ignorance is bliss” mentality when it comes to the reality of why there are increasing numbers of individuals who would qualify as living below the national poverty level (source 2 p55,56). The reality is that the majority of Americans are out of touch with individuals who are outside of their own social circles and they have developed outdated perceptions about the poor in America. The majority of Americans have misconceptions or stereotypes about whom or what races have the highest rate of poverty in our country. In 2013, 48.8 million people in the United States lived below the national poverty level (Source 3). The top three races living below the poverty level were White (18.9 million), Hispanic (15 million), and Blacks (11 million) (Source 4). Based on the data, white Americans make up the largest portion of our poor. However, the majority of white Americans see poverty as a non-white issue that does not exist in their community (Source 5). These misconceptions about race and poverty are prevalent in the mindsets of young college students who attend social policy courses (Source 5). When asked to explore issues of race and poverty these students almost always associated black with poor moreover than any other race (Source 5). The question then becomes, why do so many Americans racially stereotype the poor in our country? According to reporter Rachel D. Godsil, staff writer for The Root (source5), the two main culprits who are misleading Americans about the poor in our country are the media and politicians. One such example was Ronald Reagan’s creation of the imaginary Welfare Queen, who came to symbolize an African American mother, having countless children and getting rich off of government welfare programs (Source 6). Although the character was fictitious, the lie further fed America’s stereotypical view of the poor. Media and politicians alike are guilty of using images of Blacks and Hispanics to portray poor American’s in campaigns and programs related to poverty (Source 4, Source 5, and Source 6). The inaccurate portrayal of America’s poor has further disconnected Americans from viewing poverty as an issue that affects all racial communities. The lack of equal opportunity in America is another factor contributing to poverty. Since the founding of The United States, the poor have always existed. Although America has proudly been hailed the “land of opportunity,” there are those that hold to the idea that opportunity has not always been equal to everyone (Source 7). The United States has the designation as being one of the wealthiest countries in the world yet it has the greatest degree of income inequality. According to Professor of Politics Douglas J. Amy (Source 8), poverty is attributed to a lack of jobs and an excess of jobs paying minimal wages rather than a lack of opportunity. Journalist Kathy Henry argues that the poor do not have the equal opportunities because there existence is tied to the economic decisions that they make to support themselves and their families (Source 7). Although there are proponents and opponents to the idea that not all Americans have equal opportunity, they agree on the premise that even with equality in all aspects of society the poor would still exist based upon the nature of the economy being fluid. The entirety of America’s power cannot be blamed on a lack of opportunity because there are individuals who have been able better themselves (Source 8). On the other hand, there are individuals who were financially stable that have found themselves becoming a member of America’s poor because of the personal choices that they have made (Source 8). Either way all American’s do have the opportunity to change their state of life. Many Americans believe that there are individuals in our society who choose to be poor.
In this case, “poor” is seen as a “lifestyle” choice. Politicians have always sought ways to end poverty. Campaigns to improve the quality of life of poor Americans were created and the government welfare programs were born. Poor Americans welcomed these programs while others argued that government welfare was creating a generational dependence upon government handouts (Source 9). Over the past two decades politicians have entered a period where government welfare has steadily decreased in response to public pressure to decrease government spending. In a 2013 Wall Street Journal poll (Source 10), 24 % of Americans still blamed the United States government for continuing poverty in our country. American’s still feared that the poor’s dependence upon government handouts was decreasing their initiative to be self-supportive (Source 10). Politicians have had a roller coaster response to the poverty crisis in our country based upon public response from constituents. President Johnson declared a war on poverty while later presidents, such as Bill Clinton sought to end the public’s dependence upon government support (Source 9). The overall consensus is that early government welfare programs did lead to a certain percentage of the poor population choosing to welfare rather than initiatives of upward mobility (Source 9). However, overall government welfare programs were not geared …show more content…
towards long term dependence by able bodied Americans. Instead government welfare programs were either created to support individuals who were incapable of providing for themselves due to circumstances such as health issues or disabilities (Source 9). Or, as a means of providing temporary assistance to individuals and families who were experiencing hardships (Source 9). The lack of government support for the poor refutes the argument that America’s poor are choosing to remain in their economic hardships. Many poor American’s blame their economic hardships on the lack of adequately paying jobs.
The majority of American’s designated as being below the poverty level are working minimum wage jobs. The current economic buzz is rather or not to increase the minimum wage as a means of helping America’s poorest workers. The White House Council of Economic Advisors published a briefing in early 2014 that indicated that minimum wage could be raised 40 % without triggering job losses (Source 11). The positive aspect of this minimum wage increase would be passed down to 900,000 poor Americans who work these types of jobs (Source 12). To those living in poverty this is a positive solution to the reliance upon government welfare subsidies or the need to work multiple jobs to support growing families (Source 12). However, the Congressional Budget Office published another report in response to the proposed hikes that indicated that if minimum wage were to rise 40 % there would be a loss of over 500,000 jobs (Source 11). The idea of raising minimum wage to offset the needs of poor American’s seems like a quick fix for the issue of poverty. Yet, the loss of jobs for this same group of American’s seems unfathomable. The poor who typically work these minimum wage jobs are looking for relief from the pressures of long hours working multiple jobs in order to survive (Source 12). Either way the economic cost of America’s poor is passed on to all tax payers through increased taxes to
support government programs or increased prices of goods and service to support minimum wage increases (Source 11). Of the two, the latter affects all aspects of society including the poor population who are seeking to improve their lot in life. Determining the blame of America’s poverty is a complicated matter. Those affected, the poor, have their own ideas as to why they are unable to escape their economic downfall. The main culprit for the poor is the government, who is seen as having little sympathy for the plight of struggling Americans. Americas who are economically better off blame the poor and the government. Yet, other Americans either choose to ignore the poor or do not realize who the poor really are. Regardless of who or what is to blame for America’s poverty, the plight of our poor is the responsibility of all Americans.
Work Cited
Source 1 John Korsomo, PhD., Poverty and Class: Discussing the Undiscussible. Journal of Educational Controversy, Western Washington University, http://www.wce.wwu.edu/Resources/CEP/eJournal/v004n001/a007.shtml
Source 2 Martin Gilens, (1999) Why Americans Hate Welfare: Race, Media, and the Politics of Antipoverty Policy. Chicago: Chicago Press.
Source 3 Alemayehu Bishaw and Kayla Fontenot, Sep 2014, Poverty: 2012 and 2013, American Community Survey Briefs, http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/acs/acsbr13-01.pdf
Source 4 Rachel D Godsil, Hey, Media: White people are poor, too. The Root. http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2013/12/most_poor_people_in_america_are_white.2.html
Source 5 Robert Ross. Poverty more than a matter of black and white. (10 8 2012) Inequality.org http://inequality.org/poverty-matter-black-white/
Source 6 John Blake. Return of the Welfare Queen. January 23, 2012. CNN Politics. http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/23/politics/weflare-queen/ Source 7 Kathy Henry. February 7, 2007. The Land of Unequal Opportunity-Poverty in America. Ezine Articles http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/23/politics/weflare-queen/
Source 8 Douglas J Amy. Equal Opportunity Won’t Reduce Poverty 2/9/2014. Huff Post Politics http://www.huffingtonpost.com/douglas-j-amy/equal-opportunity-wont-reduce-poverty_b_4755771.html
Source 9 Robert Rector and Rachel Sheffield. (sept 15, 2014) The War On Poverty After 50 Years. The Heritage Foundation. http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/09/the-war-on-poverty-after-50-years
Source 10 Erin MCClam, (June 6 2014) Many Americans blame government welfare for persistent poverty poll finds. NBC NEWS. http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/in-plain-sight/many-americans-blame-government-welfare-persistent-poverty-poll-finds-v18802216
Source 11 Jeffrey Dorfman, (2 22 2014)The Minimum Wage Debate Should Be About Poverty Not Jobs, Forbes, http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffreydorfman/2014/02/22/the-minimum-wage-debate-should-be-about-poverty-not-jobs/
Source 12 Jeanne Sahadi, ( 2 18 2014) Raising Minimum Wage Would Ease Poverty But Cost Some Jobs, CNN Money, http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/18/news/economy/minimum-wage-cbo/index.html
You see them on the street corners. The poor, the seemingly hopeless, holding up their cardboard signs, and asking for help. Their eyes meet yours and you cannot help but look away in disgust. You work hard for your money. Why should you give it away to a stranger who looks perfectly capable of earning a living? If this is true, why do you feel a sense of shame when you pass them by? Who is to blame for poverty in America? The poor in America are seen as being less than human because of their economic status. In the article Poverty and Class: Discussing the Undiscussible, John Korsomo PhD., of Human Resources and Rehabilitation, Western Washington University talks about the transformation of his …show more content…
own ill-conceived views about the poor in America. Dr. Korsomo believes that his views were biased about the poor until he became a service provider working with individuals who are considered to be living below our nation’s poverty level (Source 1). There is a tendency to treat poor people negatively based upon their economic status rather than looking at them as a valued human being (Source 1). Further evidence (Source 2) found that individuals who are poor have become a social class that is seen as being lazy, uneducated, minority groups who are highly dependent upon government programs and subsidies to make a living within our country. America’s lack of knowledge about the poor population can be attributed to our tendency to segregate less desirable individuals and an attitude of out-of-site-out-of-mind philosophy (Source 1 no page). If we marginalize the poor and rely on government agencies to take care of this so called “problem population” there is almost an “ignorance is bliss” mentality when it comes to the reality of why there are increasing numbers of individuals who would qualify as living below the national poverty level (source 2 p55,56). The reality is that the majority of Americans are out of touch with individuals who are outside of their own social circles and they have developed outdated perceptions about the poor in America. The majority of Americans have misconceptions or stereotypes about whom or what races have the highest rate of poverty in our country. In 2013, 48.8 million people in the United States lived below the national poverty level (Source 3). The top three races living below the poverty level were White (18.9 million), Hispanic (15 million), and Blacks (11 million) (Source 4). Based on the data, white Americans make up the largest portion of our poor. However, the majority of white Americans see poverty as a non-white issue that does not exist in their community (Source 5). These misconceptions about race and poverty are prevalent in the mindsets of young college students who attend social policy courses (Source 5). When asked to explore issues of race and poverty these students almost always associated black with poor moreover than any other race (Source 5). The question then becomes, why do so many Americans racially stereotype the poor in our country? According to reporter Rachel D. Godsil, staff writer for The Root (source5), the two main culprits who are misleading Americans about the poor in our country are the media and politicians. One such example was Ronald Reagan’s creation of the imaginary Welfare Queen, who came to symbolize an African American mother, having countless children and getting rich off of government welfare programs (Source 6). Although the character was fictitious, the lie further fed America’s stereotypical view of the poor. Media and politicians alike are guilty of using images of Blacks and Hispanics to portray poor American’s in campaigns and programs related to poverty (Source 4, Source 5, and Source 6). The inaccurate portrayal of America’s poor has further disconnected Americans from viewing poverty as an issue that affects all racial communities. The lack of equal opportunity in America is another factor contributing to poverty. Since the founding of The United States, the poor have always existed. Although America has proudly been hailed the “land of opportunity,” there are those that hold to the idea that opportunity has not always been equal to everyone (Source 7). The United States has the designation as being one of the wealthiest countries in the world yet it has the greatest degree of income inequality. According to Professor of Politics Douglas J. Amy (Source 8), poverty is attributed to a lack of jobs and an excess of jobs paying minimal wages rather than a lack of opportunity. Journalist Kathy Henry argues that the poor do not have the equal opportunities because there existence is tied to the economic decisions that they make to support themselves and their families (Source 7). Although there are proponents and opponents to the idea that not all Americans have equal opportunity, they agree on the premise that even with equality in all aspects of society the poor would still exist based upon the nature of the economy being fluid. The entirety of America’s power cannot be blamed on a lack of opportunity because there are individuals who have been able better themselves (Source 8). On the other hand, there are individuals who were financially stable that have found themselves becoming a member of America’s poor because of the personal choices that they have made (Source 8). Either way all American’s do have the opportunity to change their state of life. Many Americans believe that there are individuals in our society who choose to be poor.
In this case, “poor” is seen as a “lifestyle” choice. Politicians have always sought ways to end poverty. Campaigns to improve the quality of life of poor Americans were created and the government welfare programs were born. Poor Americans welcomed these programs while others argued that government welfare was creating a generational dependence upon government handouts (Source 9). Over the past two decades politicians have entered a period where government welfare has steadily decreased in response to public pressure to decrease government spending. In a 2013 Wall Street Journal poll (Source 10), 24 % of Americans still blamed the United States government for continuing poverty in our country. American’s still feared that the poor’s dependence upon government handouts was decreasing their initiative to be self-supportive (Source 10). Politicians have had a roller coaster response to the poverty crisis in our country based upon public response from constituents. President Johnson declared a war on poverty while later presidents, such as Bill Clinton sought to end the public’s dependence upon government support (Source 9). The overall consensus is that early government welfare programs did lead to a certain percentage of the poor population choosing to welfare rather than initiatives of upward mobility (Source 9). However, overall government welfare programs were not geared …show more content…
towards long term dependence by able bodied Americans. Instead government welfare programs were either created to support individuals who were incapable of providing for themselves due to circumstances such as health issues or disabilities (Source 9). Or, as a means of providing temporary assistance to individuals and families who were experiencing hardships (Source 9). The lack of government support for the poor refutes the argument that America’s poor are choosing to remain in their economic hardships. Many poor American’s blame their economic hardships on the lack of adequately paying jobs.
The majority of American’s designated as being below the poverty level are working minimum wage jobs. The current economic buzz is rather or not to increase the minimum wage as a means of helping America’s poorest workers. The White House Council of Economic Advisors published a briefing in early 2014 that indicated that minimum wage could be raised 40 % without triggering job losses (Source 11). The positive aspect of this minimum wage increase would be passed down to 900,000 poor Americans who work these types of jobs (Source 12). To those living in poverty this is a positive solution to the reliance upon government welfare subsidies or the need to work multiple jobs to support growing families (Source 12). However, the Congressional Budget Office published another report in response to the proposed hikes that indicated that if minimum wage were to rise 40 % there would be a loss of over 500,000 jobs (Source 11). The idea of raising minimum wage to offset the needs of poor American’s seems like a quick fix for the issue of poverty. Yet, the loss of jobs for this same group of American’s seems unfathomable. The poor who typically work these minimum wage jobs are looking for relief from the pressures of long hours working multiple jobs in order to survive (Source 12). Either way the economic cost of America’s poor is passed on to all tax payers through increased taxes to
support government programs or increased prices of goods and service to support minimum wage increases (Source 11). Of the two, the latter affects all aspects of society including the poor population who are seeking to improve their lot in life. Determining the blame of America’s poverty is a complicated matter. Those affected, the poor, have their own ideas as to why they are unable to escape their economic downfall. The main culprit for the poor is the government, who is seen as having little sympathy for the plight of struggling Americans. Americas who are economically better off blame the poor and the government. Yet, other Americans either choose to ignore the poor or do not realize who the poor really are. Regardless of who or what is to blame for America’s poverty, the plight of our poor is the responsibility of all Americans.
Work Cited
Source 1 John Korsomo, PhD., Poverty and Class: Discussing the Undiscussible. Journal of Educational Controversy, Western Washington University, http://www.wce.wwu.edu/Resources/CEP/eJournal/v004n001/a007.shtml
Source 2 Martin Gilens, (1999) Why Americans Hate Welfare: Race, Media, and the Politics of Antipoverty Policy. Chicago: Chicago Press.
Source 3 Alemayehu Bishaw and Kayla Fontenot, Sep 2014, Poverty: 2012 and 2013, American Community Survey Briefs, http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/acs/acsbr13-01.pdf
Source 4 Rachel D Godsil, Hey, Media: White people are poor, too. The Root. http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2013/12/most_poor_people_in_america_are_white.2.html
Source 5 Robert Ross. Poverty more than a matter of black and white. (10 8 2012) Inequality.org http://inequality.org/poverty-matter-black-white/
Source 6 John Blake. Return of the Welfare Queen. January 23, 2012. CNN Politics. http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/23/politics/weflare-queen/ Source 7 Kathy Henry. February 7, 2007. The Land of Unequal Opportunity-Poverty in America. Ezine Articles http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/23/politics/weflare-queen/
Source 8 Douglas J Amy. Equal Opportunity Won’t Reduce Poverty 2/9/2014. Huff Post Politics http://www.huffingtonpost.com/douglas-j-amy/equal-opportunity-wont-reduce-poverty_b_4755771.html
Source 9 Robert Rector and Rachel Sheffield. (sept 15, 2014) The War On Poverty After 50 Years. The Heritage Foundation. http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/09/the-war-on-poverty-after-50-years
Source 10 Erin MCClam, (June 6 2014) Many Americans blame government welfare for persistent poverty poll finds. NBC NEWS. http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/in-plain-sight/many-americans-blame-government-welfare-persistent-poverty-poll-finds-v18802216
Source 11 Jeffrey Dorfman, (2 22 2014)The Minimum Wage Debate Should Be About Poverty Not Jobs, Forbes, http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffreydorfman/2014/02/22/the-minimum-wage-debate-should-be-about-poverty-not-jobs/
Source 12 Jeanne Sahadi, ( 2 18 2014) Raising Minimum Wage Would Ease Poverty But Cost Some Jobs, CNN Money, http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/18/news/economy/minimum-wage-cbo/index.html