2 approaches to poverty
- role of government
2. distribution of wealth
absolute poverty
does household net fall above or below predetermined line that government calculates
relative poverty
measure of household income relative to average income in a specific area
means testing
- definition
- ex
- must meet poverty criteria to be eligible for it
- food stamps
wealth
- definition
- ex
group of assets that a person or family hold that has monetary value
-real state, property, stocks
income
measure of annual pay that comes from a product of labor
what is more unequal? wealth or income
wealth
majority of wealth owned by
about 10% of population
women earn ___ cents on the male dollar
77
deserving poor
-undeserving poor
- children, disabled people, widows, seniors
- able bodies
Elizabethan poor laws
government decided that poor people needed to be addressed by community
new deal developed 2 things
- social insurance
2. public assistance
social insurance
-public assistance is for who?
- payroll deductions
- deserving poor
temporary assistance for needy families (TANF)
provides states with block grants
-community service or vocational training
medicaid
provides federal matching funds to states to cover the costs of medical care and services for low income people
supplemental security income
- eligible for
- funding from
- 65 yrs or older; disabled people
- funding from federal revenues
healthy meals for healthy americans
- women and children at nutritional risk
- vouchers to use at authorized food stores
earned -income tax credit
- definition
- who is it for
- what does it do to poverty line
- provides what
- administered by
- wage supplement for people in low wage jobs
- low wage workers
- decrease
- an incentive to work
- internal revenue service
social constructs
- definition
- 2 beliefs
- perceived social realities
- people are poor because they are lazy
- poverty is a result of failures in the economy
- people are poor because they are lazy
