Two Dollars A Day Essay

1298 Words3 Pages

The book two dollars a day by Kathryn Edin is a book that highlights a spiraling poverty in America. One thing I feel contributed to the poverty talked about in the book is some types of American political culture. People in America who are in need of welfare often won’t take it until they have become so impoverished there is no other option due to the stigmas that come with welfare. American political culture also creates a persona for poor people it often paints them as lazy minorities that don’t want to work though they would be capable if they tried too. The pull yourself up by the boot straps mantra only creates more detestation for the poor and impoverished that already don’t seem to fit into the American dream.
I think American politics …show more content…

It would not necessarily be easy due to push back from some of the public, but there is a number of solutions that could potentially decrease poverty. In the book people in a house hold earn less than two dollars a day, something that might alleviate that is a set minimum wage for part time workers as well as full time, or even an increased minimum wage. In the 1960s, a full-time worker earning the minimum wage could keep a family of three out of poverty. Had the minimum wage back then been kept in relation to inflation, the minimum wage today would be $10.86 per hour today. Raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour and indexing it to inflation like President Barack Obama and some members of Congress have called for, would take more than 4 million Americans out of poverty. Nearly one in five working parents would get a raise. Recent action taken by cities and states—such as Seattle, Washington; California; Connecticut; and New Jersey, shows that boosting the minimum wage reduces poverty and increases …show more content…

When a parent is incarcerated, his or her family must find a way to make ends meet without a necessary source of income Additionally, even a minor criminal record comes with significant consequences that can serve as lifelong barriers to getting out of poverty. For example, people with criminal records face substantial barriers to employment, housing, education, public assistance, and building good credit. More than 90 percent of employers now use background checks in hiring, and even an arrest without a conviction can prevent an individual from getting a job. Furthermore, a lifetime ban for individuals with felony drug convictions on receiving certain types of public assistance persists in more than half of U.S. states, making subsistence even more difficult for individuals seeking to regain their footing, and their

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