Belk 1

BrantleyBelk
Ms.Caruso
UWRT1103
1March2016
TheImpactofPovertyandImpoverishedChildreninAmerica
IfsomeoneweretoapproachanyAmericantheywouldmostlikelyhavean
understandingaboutwhatpovertyis.DuringmyexplorationandresearchofpovertyI
waseagertoknowexactlywhatpovertywasandhowdoesitimpactpeople,inparticular
children.Isoughttofindoutifgovernmentassistancereallydoeshelpthoseinneedofit
andfoundoutmanyanswerstomyquestions.Whileinquiringaboutallthesedifferent
topicsIcameuponanextremelyinterestingreasoningforthesolutiontohelpingend
poverty,whichtotallychangedmyperspectiveonpoverty.
Povertyisnotdefinedsimplyasonesingledefinitionbecausetherearetwo
subcategoriesthatmakeuppoverty.Thesecategoriesareabsolutepoverty,whichisthe
basiclackofnecessitiesneededtosurvive,andrelativepoverty,whichiswhenaperson
orfamilysincomeisconsiderablyworsethanthegeneralstandardofliving(Relative
vs.AbsolutePoverty).AfterfindingoutwhatthecompletedefinitionofpovertyisI
wascurioustoknowwhatexactlyqualifiessomeoneasimpoverished?Theline,whichis
atermcommonlyused,isfoundbyaddingupallexpensesforneededresourcesforthe
averageadulthumanbeing(Midgett,TheLine).Apioneerofpovertystudies,
SeebhomRowntreedefinesabsolutepovertyas,Theconditionunderwhichonecannot
affordtheminimumprovisionneededtomaintainhealthandworkingefficiency.

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Rowntreedecidesthisisthepovertylineforabsolutepovertybasedonthebasisof
nutritionapersongetsfromhisorherdiet(Modal).Thisisavalidpointmadeby
Rowntreebecausefoodandshelteraretwomainnecessitiesofliving.
Manypeoplebelievethatthepovertylineisnotawaytomeasurepoverty
becausemanypeopleabovethislinearestillconsideredimpoverished(Choosingand
EstimatingaPovertyLine).Thismademewanttounderstandmoreaboutwhatthe
povertylineis.TheUnitedStatesCensusBureaudefinesthepovertylineforafamilyof
fourasmaking$23,050orless(Midgett,TheLine).Thisisastrictlinemeaningthata
familymakingslightlymorewouldnotbeconsideredpoororeligibleforgovernment
assistance.Asinglemotherin1999sentanemailtoHealthandHumanServices
(responsibleforcalculatingthefederalpovertyline).Inthisemailshestatedthatshe
workstwojobs,whichtotalsabout$18,000peryear,andthepovertylineis$11,060.
Shecanbarelyaffordherbillsandexpenses,andsheconcludesaskinghowpeopleare
supposedtoliveunder$20,000ayear(WhyIstheFederalPovertyLineSoFarOff?).
Todaythepovertylineforafamilyoftwois$15,510,whichisstilllessthanwhatthe
womanisstrugglingtoliveon.
NotonlydidIseethatpovertydoesnotjustimpactadultsandtheirabilitytopay
billsortakecareoffamilies.Ithasahugeeffectonchildrensuchas:academic
achievement,psychosocialandphysicalhealth(EffectsofPoverty,Hungerand
HomelessnessonChildrenandYouth).InCleveland,Ohiocensusdataprovedthat54
percentofthechildrenliveinpoverty,andnotjustrelativepovertybutoverwhelmingly

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poor(Zeltner).LauraSpeeristheassociatedirectorofpolicyreformandsheclaimsthat
itisnosecrethowpoorkidsaremorelikelytobethesickkids.Speeralsosays,
Childrenwhogrowupineconomicallydisadvantagedhouseholds,especially
foralongperiodoftimeoriftheylivebelowthepovertylinewhenthey'revery
younggenerallyspeakinghavenegativeoutcomesonlotsofthingsthatmatter
forchilddevelopment(Zeltner).
ThechildreninmanyschoolsinCleveland,Ohioarereportingtohavebehavioral
problems,asthma,diabetesandfailureinschool.Iwasinterestedtoknowwhychildren
endedupthiswayandfoundoutthatmanychildrencomeintotheworlddisadvantaged.
Meaningchildrenborntopoorfamiliesareshowntohavelowbirthweightandother
birthcomplicationsespeciallyifillegaldrugswereinvolvedduringpregnancy(Effects
ofPoverty,HungerandHomelessnessonChildrenandYouth).
Anotherreasonforbadperformancefromimpoverishedchildrenisthattheyare
atagreaterriskforemotionalandbehavioralproblems.Manychildrenstrugglewith
aggressionorselfesteemduetothechildssituationathome.Somechildrenhaveto
contributetotheirhomesbyworkingortakingcareofyoungersiblings.Thisisoneof
thecausesforsomechildrentopartakeinactivitiessuchassellingdrugsorengagingin
earlysexualactivities(Midgett,TheLine).
OnceIfoundoutabouttheseresultsofpovertyIwonderedhowexactlythe
governmentishelpingoutfamiliesinneed.Thegovernmentprovidespublicassistance
programssuchasMedicare,federalwelfareprogramsandfoodstamps(Infoplease).
Thereisalsoaprogressiveincometaxmeaningwealthiercitizenspaymorethanpeople

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withalowerincome.AtfirstIwasskepticalabouttheseprogramsbecausewhileI
watchedthefilmTheLinemanyofthepeopleclaimedthatevenwithfoodstampsthey
werestillnotabletoprovidefortheirfamily.HoweverasIdidmoreresearchIfound
thatwithoutfoodstampsanother8millionAmericanswouldbelivinginpoverty
(Kasperkevic).Also,withouttaxcreditsthepovertyrateforchildren18andunderwould
befourpercenthigherthanitistoday(Kasperkevic).
IwasextremelycriticalofhowthegovernmentofishandlingpovertyandIkept
wonderingwhytheywouldnotworkhardertofixthisissue.Theanswertomyquestion
isbecauseoftheDemocratsandtheRepublicanpartiesgoingbackandforthwitheach
otherontheissue(Luh).TheDemocratsadvocateforhighertaxesforthewealthier
whiletheRepublicansareadamantaboutnotmakingthewealthypaymoreintaxes
("ShouldtheGovernmentHelpthePoor?").ManyRepublicansactuallyadvocatecutting
somegovernmentassistanceprograms.OnadebatewebsiteIfoundonShouldthe
governmenthelpthepoor?ananonymouswriterwrote:
Theproblemisnotthefactthatthegovernmentgives,whathasbeendescribed
as"handouts"tothepoor,butthefactofwhatthedefinitionof"thepoor"isand
howthosemoniesaredistributed.Withoutapropercheckandbalancesystem,
thereistoomuchwasteinthatprogramanditleavestoomanyopportunitiesfor
fraud.However,therearethoseinsocietythatstruggleandneedsomeassistance
whentherearenoalternativesforcare.That'swherethegovernmentcanassist.
Ananonymousagainstthegovernmenthelpingthepoorwroteonthewebsite:

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ChangetheDefinitionandHelptheTruePoor.No,thegovernmentshouldnot
helpthepoor,withthecurrentdefinitionof"poor"meaninganyonewhoasksfor
help.Ifapersonsimplydoesn'twanttohaveajobandsitshomegetting
governmentassistanceforeverythingfromelectricitytorenttofood,andthat
assistanceaddsuptomorethantheycouldmakefromworkingwhywouldthey
choosetowork?Weallneedtohelpthetrulypoorwhocannot,foronereasonor
another,helphimselforherself.Thosewhochoosetobepoortogetthefree
handoutsnotheyshouldnotreceivegovernmenthelp.
Iconcludedafterreadingthisthatthereneedstobeahappymediumforgovernment
assistance.Thisledmetomyfinalquestion:Howcanthegovernmentfocusonhelping
childrenthatareinpoverty?
AtfirstItriedtolookatthecurrentpoliciesandprogramsinAmericatoseeifI
couldcritiquethem.IendeduplookingextensivelyattheUnitedKingdomandtheir
approachtoendingpoverty.In1999theUKdecidedthattheywantedtoridchildhood
povertysotheyfocusedonraisingtheincomeoflowincomefamilieswithchildrenand
raisingthenationschildbenefittax(Portero).Alongwiththisthecountrymadelarge
investmentsinearlychildhoodeducationandmadeauniversalPreK(Portero).Within
tenyearsabsolutepovertywascutinhalfandrelativepovertywasreducedbyfifteen
percent(Portero).ThisseemslikearevolutionaryideatomeandPresidentObamahas
triedhisbesttohelppovertywiththeAmericanRecoveryandReinvestmentAct
(Poverty:DifferencebetweenAbsolutePovertyandRelativePoverty).Howeverthe
changeisnotasdrasticastheUnitedKingdom.

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ThroughoutmyresearchanddiscoveryprocessIrealizedthatmyperceptionon
povertyhaschangeddrastically.ThisisbecauseIviewedmanybothsidesoftheissue
andrealizedhowmuchmorecomplexpovertyis.InAmericathesolutionsarelimited
becauseofthedebatingpoliticalparties,howeverprivatecompaniescanalsohelpfillthe
voidthatthegovernmentisunabletofillatthetime(Midgett,TheLine).Theremay
neverbeacompleteendtopoverty,butthereshouldmostdefinitelybeimprovements.
WorksCited
"ChoosingandEstimatingaPovertyLine."PovertyAnalysis.N.p.,n.d.Web.27Feb.
2016.
<http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/E
TPA/0,,contentMDK:20242879~menuPK:492138~pagePK:148956~piPK:21661
~theSitePK:430367,00.html>.
"EffectsofPoverty,Hunger,andHomelessnessinChildrenandYouth."American
PsychologicalAssociation.N.p.,n.d.Web.27Feb.2016.
<http://www.apa.org/pi/families/poverty.aspx>.
Infoplease.Infoplease,n.d.Web.27Feb.2016.
<http://www.infoplease.com/cig/economics/governmentrole.html>.
Kasperkevic,Jana."WelfareProgramsShowntoReducePovertyinAmerica."The
Guardian.GuardianNewsandMedia,12Nov.2014.Web.27Feb.2016.
<http://www.theguardian.com/money/usmoneyblog/2014/nov/12/socialwelfare
programsfoodstampsreducepovertyamerica>.

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Light,John."WhyIstheFederalPovertyLineSoFarOff?|BillMoyers.com."
BillMoyers.com.N.p.,18Sept.2013.Web.27Feb.2016.
<http://billmoyers.com/2013/09/18/whyisthefederalpovertylinesolow/>.
TheLine.Prod.LindaMidgett.Sojourners,2012.DVD.
Luh,Tami."GovernmentAssistanceKeepsMillionsoutofPoverty."CNNMoney.Cable
NewsNetwork,14Sept.2011.Web.27Feb.2016.
<http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/14/news/economy/poverty_government_assista
ce/>.
Mondal,Puja."Poverty:DifferencebetweenAbsolutePovertyandRelativePoverty."
YourArticleLibrarycomTheNextGenerationLibrary.N.p.,25Mar.2014.Web.
27Feb.2016.<http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/poverty/povertydifference
betweenabsolutepovertyandrelativepoverty/31409/>.
Portero,Ashley."USChildPovertyRatesAreHigh;BlameLargePopulation,
GovernmentMistrust,AndFearOfMoreEntitlements;TheUnitedKingdom
MayHaveAnswers."InternationalBusinessTimes.N.p.,01Mar.2013.Web.28
Feb.2016.<http://www.ibtimes.com/uschildpovertyratesarehighblamelarge
populationgovernmentmistrustfearmoreentitlements>.
"Poverty:DifferencebetweenAbsolutePovertyandRelativePoverty."TheWhiteHouse.
N.p.,n.d.Web.<https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/poverty>.
"Relativevs.AbsolutePoverty:WhyandHowDoWeMeasurePoverty?"Poverties.org.
N.p.,n.d.Web.27Feb.2016.<http://www.poverties.org/absolutepoverty.html>.

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"ShouldtheGovernmentHelpthePoor?"ShouldtheGovernmentHelpthePoor?N.p.,
n.d.Web.27Feb.2016.<http://www.debate.org/opinions/shouldthe
governmenthelpthepoor>.
"USChildPovertyRatesAreHigh;BlameLargePopulation,GovernmentMistrust,And
FearOfMoreEntitlements;TheUnitedKingdomMayHaveAnswers."
InternationalBusinessTimes.N.p.,01Mar.2013.Web.27Feb.2016.
<http://www.ibtimes.com/uschildpovertyratesarehighblamelarge
populationgovernmentmistrustfearmoreentitlements>.
"WhiletheGovernmentOfficiallyAbolishesChildPoverty,ThingsAreGettingWorse."
WhiletheGovernmentOfficiallyAbolishesChildPoverty,ThingsAreGetting
Worse.N.p.,n.d.Web.27Feb.2016.
<http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/07/whilegovernmentofficially
abolisheschildpovertythingsaregettingworse>.
Zeltner,Brie."MorethanHalfofClevelandKidsLiveinPoverty,andIt'sMakingThem
Sick."N.p.,n.d.Web.24Feb.2016.
<http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2014/09/more_than_half_of_clev
land_ki.html>.