Trends in U.S. Poverty Poverty in the United States Since 1950 This pa

The first problem which must be addressed when discussing poverty is what is "poor?" This question has been answered in a wide variety of ways by a wide variety of persons. Many different definitions have been used by different authorities, including the federal government. Most have argued that poverty must be defined by the society in which the persons in question lived; the standard of living of the poor in one country may be higher than that of the wealthiest persons in another. As one author has stated, everyone is poor in relation to someone with a higher income; a highly paid executive may have to struggle to maintain the same lifestyle as his neighbors in a community such as Newport or Beverly Hills. Similarly, the poorest slum dwellers in the United States probably have a higher standard of living than some of the most affluent members of tribal societies in the Third World. Even within the same country, the poorest members of society may live better than the richest members d

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ch was capable of eliminating absolute poverty (destitution and hunger) within its borders. While the rise in personal income stalled during the Depression, it resumed its tremendous acceleration during the Second World War. Between 1947 and 1963, the median income of unrelated individuals increased by 30.5%; that of families increased by 50%. The dollar amount represented by this increase exceeded the total family income of much of the world's population. This trend continued through 1990, when the median household income was 20% higher than in 1967. However, during the 1970s, this increase began to fluctuate as the economy experienced three recessions between 1970 and 1992; consequently, the overall increase in income between 1970 and 1992 was much less than at any other period after the Second World War, with income actually falling somewhat during the recessionary periods. Thus, income and poverty increased and decreased in a roughly inverse relationship to each other between 1947 and 1992. When income rose, poverty fell; when income stood still or fell, poverty stood still or rose. However, between 1967 and 1990, the inequality in income distribution grew. During those years, the lowest fifth in income of the househo
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Approximate Word count = 3415
Approximate Pages = 14 (250 words per page)