Poverty in America (Research Paper Sample)

Poverty and Inequality in America
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Outline
The research below will describe the general poverty level in America. It will then analyze the poverty level in America in relation to various groups. The research will also define poverty. Poverty has various definitions. The research will define poverty in a bid to draw a parallel definition.
In general, the poverty level in America is on a continuous rise. On a daily basis the American families are striving to make ends meet. With the rising costs of living and unemployment, the poverty level on America is rising. The families have to strive to gain better standards of education, health and housing.
The research below will look at the statistics of poverty level distribution among the Americans. The data will be collected from various sources. The report will rely on data collected by various research centers. The data will be collected to analyze the level of poverty across the different groups. The research will also make a data analysis in order to draw a conclusion.
The research below will also look at the works done by other authors in regard to poverty in America. The analysis of the works of other authors ensures a deeper understanding of the topic under study.
Research questions
The research paper will address the general level of poverty in America. The paper will then look at the relationship between the poverty level and the different groups. The research will be based on the following research questions:-
What is poverty?
What is the general poverty level in America?
What is the poverty rate in relation to inequality?
Why is there a disparity of poverty level in relation to inequalities?
Are there groups that are less disadvantaged?
Has the government done enough in reducing the gap in wealth distribution?
Is poverty in America on a rise?
How does America measure Poverty?
How has poverty changed over time?
What are the ways of reducing the poverty gap in America in relation to inequality?
Thesis Statement
In America, there exists a relationship between the poverty rate and inequality. Inequality has seized hold of equal distribution of wealth and income in America leading to varying poverty rate among different groups.
Introduction
Americans are always proud of their economic system and often believe it is sufficient. This faith is, however, clouded by the fact that poverty is still prevalent in America. The government has deployed various anti-poverty efforts in fighting the poverty rate in America. On the other hand, strong economic growth has helped in the eradication of poverty.
The importance of reviewing the distribution of income in regard to different groups is to have the same visibility as other drivers of the national wealth (Danziger & Gottschalk, 1995). The report accesses the impact of unified factors in the poverty level among Americans.
The statistics of poverty levels are essential but mask the severe pockets of poverty level. It is, therefore, essential to analyze the poverty rate figures in isolation. These figures can be broken down to analyze the poverty level on particular groups. Of significant analysis, the report will look closer at poverty level among children, single mothers and racial lines.
In any particular observation, statistics will show that America does not share its national cake on an equal basis. There are significant disparities in the poverty level among various groups. The concerns of inequality in America continue from the years of the Civil Rights Movement. The same problem has persisted even though the federal government is trying as much as possible to narrow the gap.
How poverty level is measured in America
The statistics of poverty level in America are issued every year by the Census Bureau. The methodology for computing the poverty level was developed in the 1960s. The same has not been changed over the years. The method is adjusted to reflect the changes in inflation rate at a given year (United States Census Bureau, 2013).
The federal government has a threshold that defines the minimum income necessary to maintain a family of four. This amount may vary in reflection to the market changes. The rise and fall of the cost of living and inflation lead to fluctuations in the minimum poverty threshold.
A family is considered poor if its pretax money income is less than the prescribed poverty threshold. The money income does not include non cash items such as housing benefits, food stamps, Medicaid and health insurance provided by the employer.
Poverty in America is defined as people living in health insurance units under income of less than 100% of the Federal Poverty Level. This is a measure by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The measures of poverty have been criticized by analysts who suggest that the poverty levels are exaggerated. This is because in the measurement of poverty non cash benefits are not included. Others argue that some families above the poverty level go hungry as they forgo spending on food to pay for other costs such as the health care.
Statistics
In the Civil Rights Movement by the African Americans, the struggle was to gain equal opportunities in housing, education and health. Over 50 years thereafter, the inequality in wealth distribution is still evident. The gulf of unequal wealth distribution has actually widened.
Over the years, the level of poverty in America has been changing. In the 1950s, the poverty level of all Americans stood at 22.4%. These percentages declined significantly through 1960s reaching a record low of 11.1%. In 1970 to the forthcoming decade, the poverty level remained on the range of 11.1% to 12.6%. The rates began to rise steadily from 1980. In the year 1983, the level of poverty had grown to 15.2% (United States Census Bureau, 2013).
Up to the 1990s, the level of poverty remained above 12.8%. By 1993, the rate had grown to 15.1%. For the remainder of the decade, the rate declined to 11.3%. From the year 2000 to the year 2004, the rate rose to 12.7%. The rate increased to 15% in 2012.
In the year 2013, 6 years after the start of the Great Recession, the economy is not delivering adequate jobs. The level of long term unemployment is on a higher level as compared to the year 2000.
Generally in 2012, 15.1% lived under poverty. This was approximately 46.5 million of the population. In the same year, the level of poverty was the highest since the year 1993. 6.6% of the population lived in deep poverty. This is approximately 20.4 million people (United States Census Bureau, 2013).
In 2012, 27.2% of the black population lived in poverty. In comparison, 9.7% of non-Hispanic whites lived in poverty. The gap is more wide spread while looking at deep poverty. Blacks are three times more likely to live in deep poverty than non-Hispanic whites. In 2012, 12.7% of the black population lived in deep poverty. This is compared to 4.3% of non-Hispanic whites and 10.1% of Hispanics (United States Census Bureau, 2013).
According to the census data analyzed by Pew Research Centre, in 2011, the average income for the blacks was 59% less than those of the whites. This is up slightly from 55% in 1967. In terms of wealth, there was a significant difference between that of whites and the blacks. In fact, the research conducted by Pew Research Center showed that black households owned about 7% of the wealth of white households. This was a decrease by 2% compared to the data collected in 1984.
In 2012, child poverty rate made up a disquieting 34.6% of the Americans plunged into poverty. The figures translated to 35% of Americans living in deep poverty.In 2012, the child poverty rate hit a level high of 21.2% as was the case in mid 1960s. This means that around 16.1million American youths lived in poverty (Child Trends, 2013).
The statistics also showed that families headed by women are likely to be poor. In 2012, five million more women than men were living in poverty. In addition, two million more women than men lived in deep poverty. For the ages between 18-64 years the poverty rate of women was 15.4% compared to 11.9% of men in the same range. 31% of households headed by single women were living in poverty (United States Census Bureau, 2013).
Data Analysis
From the data above, it is clear that inequality in income distribution is the largest cause of high poverty levels. Inequality has increased the poverty level by 5.5 points. The trend shown by the statistics above is unsettling. Even after the Civil Rights Movements in the mid 1950s to 1960s, the data above shows that there is profound difference between wealth and income distribution among different groups.
The studies and statistics above have shown inconsistent poverty levels in various groups. Even though some states shows high poverty levels, the average national poverty level is relatively firm. From the data above the rich will continue being richer. With the observable gaps in poverty level evident, there is no principle agreement on the causes. However, the following factors have been flagged out to contribute to the wealth inequality. These include: education levels, health policies, tax laws and wage conditions.
Education
In 1961, the number of blacks who graduated was actually half than those of the whites. However, today the rate at which the black students are graduating at high schools is almost the same level as those of the whites. The statistics do not move in tandem with the poverty level.
The disparity in education has led to unequal distribution of income (Burgard & Hawkins, 2013). Even though there has been a reduction in the gap of racial academic achievements, there is still a significant gap in attainment of the highest level of academics.
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