American Scorecard: Special Populations Adapted from Brian McDonald‘s PowerPoint Center on Poverty, Work, & Opportunity UNC School of Law

Population of Poverty USA In 2013, 45.3 million people or 14.5% lived in poverty. This includes all those who make less than the Federal government’s official poverty threshold. . . which for a family of four is $23,834.00. People working at minimum wage, even holding down several jobs. Seniors living on fixed incomes. Wage earners suddenly out of work. Millions of families everywhere from our cities to rural communities. Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2012, U.S. Census Bureau; Income and Poverty in the United States: 2013, U.S. Census Bureau

African Americans In addition to historical trends and racism, factors that impact poverty in the black community include: Education gap Culture of poverty, including family structure and incarceration issues Institutional racism Minimum wage jobs, few benefits, little to no insurance Job issues: Relocation of once reliable employers; move of many jobs to the suburbs

African Americans According to 2013 US Census Data Highest poverty rate - Blacks (27.2%) Second highest rate - Hispanics (of any race) (23.5%) Asians had a poverty rate at 10.5% Whites had a poverty rate of 9.6% Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2013, U.S. Census Bureau

Native Americans Conditions on the reservation, low income jobs/unemployment, history, health problems, limited or no insurance and alcoholism are contributing factors to their poverty Native Americans have the highest unemployment of any minority group, yet policy inaction, geography, and a lack of media coverage have excluded this group and limited positive economic change

Native Americans

Native Americans

Immigrants Causes of poverty Debate over illegal immigration Low wages and worker exploitation Unemployment or only part-time work No insurance and/or few benefits Education gap (and language barriers) Limited mobility or promotions from entry- level positions Debate over illegal immigration What impact do undocumented workers have on the economy?

Immigrants

Women The glass ceiling, sexual harassment, decisions regarding family life, pay inequity, stereotypes, and gender roles all contribute to economic inequality “Consequences” of motherhood: Lower lifetime salaries because of children (mommy tax) Divided attention between work and home (mommy track)

Women

Young People Causes of poverty Consequences Inherited from family Family structure (one parent vs. two parent households) Dropping out of high school, limited education Unemployment Teen pregnancy Consequences Competition with other groups for jobs and part-time work Debt (benefits vs. costs of attending higher education) Moving back in with your parents Becoming a part of the culture of poverty, passing it on 19.9% of all children lived in poverty—about 1 in every 5 children, in 2013 In 2012, the National Center on Family Homelessness analyzed state-level data and found that nationwide, 1.6 million children experience homelessness in a year. The National School Lunch Program provides low- or no-cost meals to impoverished children. In 2012 alone, the program served subsidized lunches to more than 31.6 million children–and has served 224 billion lunches since its founding in 1946. Sources: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2013, U.S. Census Bureau; National Center for Family Homelessness, 2011; USDS Food and Nutrition Services, 2014

The Elderly Causes Consequences Lack of savings or retirement (large portion of their income is derived from Social Security) Increased medical costs or health problems Rising costs and other economic problems Limited services or knowledge of assistance that exists Ageism and other discrimination Consequences Working longer, limited retirement Less than ideal long-term care Health problems (with limited insurance) 14.6% of seniors live at the poverty level. (Official census data gives seniors a 2013 poverty rate of only 9.5%, but the Supplemental Poverty Measure, which accounts for expenses such as the rising costs of health care, raises the senior poverty rate.) Sources: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2013, U.S. Census Bureau; The Research Supplemental Poverty Measure: 2013, US Census Bureau

Young/Elderly

Young/Elderly

The Disabled Some that are mentally & physically disabled have a difficult time finding a job & maintaining responsibilities. There is a negative relationship between socioeconomic status and mental illness Unemployment contributes to homelessness, a major problem for three million veterans in the United States

The Disabled

Generalizations Discrimination and the culture of poverty impact the economic inequality of people in all groups of society Many special populations groups remain a part of the invisible poor Affirmative action programs have attempted to remedy some of these problems.

Questions to Consider What causes of poverty seem to exist across multiple special populations? Why? Which causes are unique to a specific group? What role does the majority have in helping the minority when it comes to poverty and economic inequality? McDonad, Brian (n.d.). American Scorecard: Special Populations [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://www.law.unc.edu/centers/poverty/curriculum/populations/