What groups of Americans are affected by poverty?

Poverty A standard of living that is below the minimum level considered adequate by society. Poverty is relative, it depends on the standard of living in your country.

Poverty in the United States The U.S. Bureau of the Census defines poverty in terms of the minimum annual income needed by a family to survive. This minimum income is called the poverty line.

Calculating the poverty level Cost of an adequate diet (based on U.S. Department of Agriculture’s standards) multiplied by 3. Is adjusted each year for cost of living. Is calculated differently for different sized families.

Persons in family/household 2012 Poverty Guidelines for the48 Contiguous States and the District of Columbia Persons in family/household Poverty guideline 1 $11,170 2 15,130 3 19,090 4 23,050 5 27,010 6 30,970 7 34,930 8 38,890 For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $3,960 for each additional person.

American Poverty Some people are more likely to be poor than others, why?

Age Children represent the largest percentage of people living in poverty. African American and Hispanic American children are more than twice as likely to live in poverty than white children.

Child poverty What trends do you notice in this map?

Sex About 57% of the poor are women. Women are the head of the household in nearly half of all poor families.

Race and Ethnicity Regardless of age or sex, African Americans and Hispanics in the U.S. are more likely to live in poverty than whites. For example, according to the 2000 census: of the total population, 13% of Americans lived below the poverty level. That same census found that 11% of whites, 26.5 % of African Americans, and 27.1 % of Hispanic Americans lived below the poverty level.

How Poverty effects lives Life chances and patterns of behavior

Life Chances The likelihood that individuals have of sharing the opportunities and benefits of society. Life chances include: health, length of life, housing, and education. These vary by social class.

Life Expectancy Is the average number of years a person born in a particular year can expect to live. Poor Americans are more likely to have poor health and a shorter life expectancy. Reasons: less money for food = poor nutrition Less money = problems with health insurance

Patterns of Behavior High divorce rate among poor. Poor are more likely to be arrested, convicted, and sent to prison. The poor are also more likely to be the victims of crimes.

The Government’s role in fighting poverty The “War on Poverty”

Government’s role Started with President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Example, people aged 65+ are less likely than the average American to live in poverty.

Social Welfare Programs Transfer payments Government subsidies Redistributes money among various segments of society. Tax money given to: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Transfer of goods and services instead of cash. Includes: Food stamps Medicaid School lunches Housing

Welfare Reform 1996- Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. Turned some of the handling of the programs over to the states. People could now only receive TANF for up to 5 years. TANF recipients now had to work within 2 years.