Widening Poverty Gap In US
The number of Americans living in severe poverty has expanded dramatically under the Bush administration, with nearly 16 million people now living on an individual income of less than $5,000 (£2,500) a year or a family income of less than $10,000, according to an analysis of 2005 official census data, says The Independent.
“The analysis, by the McClatchy group of newspapers, showed that the number of people living in extreme poverty had grown by 26 per cent since 2000. Poverty as a whole has worsened, too, but the number of severe poor is growing 56 per cent faster than the overall segment of the population characterised as poor – about 37 million people in all according to the census data. That represents more than 10 per cent of the US population, which recently surpassed the 300 million mark.
“The widening of the income gap between haves and have-nots is nothing new in America – it has been going on steadily since the late 1970s. What is new, though, is the rapid increase in numbers at the bottom of the socio-economic pile. The numbers of severely poor have increased faster than any other segment of the population…
“These figures are rarely discussed in political forums in America in part because the economy has, in large part, ceased to be regarded as a political issue – John Edwards’ ‘two Americas’ theme in his presidential campaign being a rare exception – and because the right-wing think-tanks that have sprouted and thrived since the Reagan administration have done a good job of minimising the importance of the trends.
“They have argued, in fact, that the poverty statistics are misleading because of the mobility of US society. A small number of left-wing think-tanks, such as the Economic Policy Institute, meanwhile, argue that the census figures are almost certainly lower than the real picture because many people living in extreme poverty do not answer census questionnaires.
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3 Responses to “Widening Poverty Gap In US”
For a country with such great wealth, it’s surprising how little of that wealth makes it to the working class.
I wonder if a large portion of those going into poverty are over 70. Think about how much the cost of drugs/healthcare, and cost of living has risen in the past 5 years. For someone on a very fixed income, that doesn’t have the ability to go earn more year over year. You would be slowly sliding backwards in buying power. I notice how much more gas, electricity and food are now as compared to when I got married 7 years ago. I can’t imagine what it would be like for someone that is on a fixed income when prices continually increase on day to day items like that.
Jim B,
The poverty statistics basically focus on income, ignoring expenses like drugs and medical care. The right wing think tanks referenced in the article are among the most intellectually dishonest groups in the U.S. now in my opinion in large part because they make highly exaggerated claims about economic mobility.