Poverty And Poverty

What is poverty? The World Bank Organization takes a unique way of looking into the question of what is poverty. “Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time.” With that being said, according to the United States Census Bureau in 2013 the nation’s poverty rate fell to 14.5%, down from 15% a year earlier. This drop of a half percent is the first significant drop since 2006 when it was 12.6%. If one were to do the math a whopping 45.3 million Americanss fall under the line of poverty. Unfortunately of those 45.3 million living in poverty,

Looking at the bigger picture, 16.4 million of our nation’s future is technically poor. Living in poverty is defined by: An individual living alone has to make $11,770 or less per year to be considered living in poverty; two people living together has to make $15,930 or less in a year; for each household member you have to add $4,160 starting from $11,770. For example, if a household has nine members then the income has to total over $45,050, otherwise that household would by definition be living under the poverty line. All though many numbers, facts, and statistics have been presented, people may never truly understand what it is like to live in poverty until they themselves are unfortunate enough to live in poverty. America, a country which people are free to pursue all of their life dreams, a country which people enjoy success beyond anyone’s wildest dreams, a country where everyone who inhabits it is equal, yet America is a country plagued by poverty which takes a toll on health, education, and our

Most notably The Great Depression, which last between 1929 to roughly 1939. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the president through the depression, was the focal point in raising the nation out of the horrible depression. “Roosevelt acted swiftly to try and stabilize the economy and provide jobs and relief to those who were suffering. Over the next eight years, the government instituted a series of experimental projects and programs, known collectively as the New Deal, that aimed to restore some measure of dignity and prosperity to many Americans (History.com).” Fast forward seventy plus years later, America is in a crisis not as devastating as the Depression but a crisis none the less. 45.3 million American are currently living below the poverty line, meaning 45.3 million people in the United State is currently poor that is the equivalent to 14.5% of America. Of those 45.3 million, 16.4 million of those living in poverty are children(18 years and/or younger), that is equivalent to 22% of the children today. As history has proved to us time after time every problem has a solution just has the Great Depression was conquered, poverty could as well be subjugated. First, in order to kill two birds with one stone by decreasing poverty and ultimately unemployment is to create new jobs. Rebecca Vallas and Melissa Boteach of Center for American Progress formulated a few ideal, idea to rid our