Poorly understood : what America gets wrong about poverty / by Mark Robert Rank, Lawrence M. Eppard, and Heather E. Bullock.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rank, Mark R., author.

Eppard, Lawrence M., author.

Bullock, Heather E., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Poor--United States.

Poor.

United States.

Poverty--United States.

Poverty.

Public welfare--United States.

Public welfare.

Economic history.

Social conditions.

United States--Social conditions.

United States--Economic conditions.

Economic conditions.

Physical Description:

viii, 242 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2021]

Summary:

"To our knowledge, Poorly Understood is the first book to systematically address and confront many of the most widespread myths pertaining to poverty. Throughout each of our careers we have encountered these myths on a routine basis. They can be found virtually everywhere - from the political rhetoric emanating out of the highest office in the land to the neighborhood gossip down the street. It would seem as if everyone has a heated opinion about the poor, with the heat rising even higher when the topic of welfare is thrown into the mix. Yet as we shall see throughout these chapters, the realities of poverty are much different than the myths. In many ways they are more disturbing. The idealized image of American society is one of abundant opportunities, with hard work being rewarded by economic prosperity. Consequently, those who fail to get ahead have only themselves to blame according to this argument. It is within this context that America thinks of itself as a fair and meritocractic society in which people get what they deserve in life"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: 1. Introduction

SECTION I Who Are the Poor?

2. Most Americans Will Experience Poverty

3. The Poor Tend to Live Outside of Impoverished Inner-City Neighborhoods

4. Poverty Spells Are Short but Frequent

5. Whites Are the Largest Racial Group Experiencing Poverty

SECTION II Why Is There Poverty?

6. Hard Work Is Insufficient

7. Raising Education and Skill Levels Will Not Solve Poverty Alone

8. Decision-Making Is Constrained for Those With Fewer Resources

9. Poverty Is Preventable

SECTION III What Is the Cost of Poverty?

10. America's Poor Are Worse Off Than Elsewhere

11. The Economic Cost of Poverty Is Enormous

12. The Moral Ground to View Poverty Is Injustice

SECTION IV Does Welfare Work?

13. The U.S. Welfare State Is Minimal

14. Welfare Fraud Is Scarce

15. Government Programs Can Reduce Poverty

SECTION V How Extensive Is Inequality?

16. The United States Is No Longer a Land of Upward Mobility and Opportunity

17. The Playing Field Is Uneven

18. Inequality Matters

SECTION VI Pulling It Together

19. Why Do the Myths Persist?

20. Reshaping Social Policy

21. Creating the Change.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Rank, Mark R. Poorly understood

ISBN:

9780190881382

0190881380

OCLC:

1181837821

Publisher Number:

99986915994