A Cure for Poverty?

Community Problem Report: A Cure for Poverty?

The University of Texas at El Paso

RWS 1301

October 18, 2016

Joshua Regalado

Abstract

The economic problem that is poverty has plagued the United States of America for more
than a century. Even with the reporting of statistics that show the consistent fluctuations of
poverty levels throughout the years in America, it can be seen that this is not the only disturbing
fact. With the real issue behind poverty being not that it affects more the 45 million people in our
nation, but the fact that there has been no real solution to this economic problem. Poverty, when
explained, is a subject that is greatly debated across a great plane of economist. The opinions of
where this economic issue stems from is related from negligence of civil rights to the failed
attempt of government to assist those in need of aid to rid poverty. It can be said that a lack of
focus and observation on the specific details of the issue has led to failed attempt after attempt
for economic relief, making it feel as if there will be no means of a solution. The focus within
my paper is to find out why action for this problem has been ineffective and why government
officials have been unable to maintain a low and steady poverty rate since the war on poverty
began in 1965.

Keywords: Statistics, Opinions, Negligence, Stems, Solution.

A Cure for Poverty?

Introduction
Those living in poverty, those who live outside of poverty, even those who are looking for
a solution that will end poverty, ask the question, why has there been no solution for poverty?
Reasons for why the United States has been infected by poverty, and an overall explanation of
poverty as itself, ranges from statistical and economical explanations to conspiracy theories and
aggravated opinions. With poverty being continuously present in United States history, from the
great depression and world war one to the most recent census of 2015 where it was concluded
that more than 13.5% (43.1 million) Americans live in poverty, it is difficult to believe that there
has been no consistent and effective combatant to cease poverty. The topics within my paper
will consist of the ideas and theories of where poverty stems from, the statistical evidence of the
effects of poverty, and the government action or attempts that have been made to stop poverty.

Ideas and Theories of the Formation of Poverty

The roots of poverty are argued and opinionated by those living in and outside of poverty,
economist that form statistics on poverty itself and those alike who are trying to find a solution to
end it. Decades before the war on poverty was created in 1964, the formation of where poverty
stems from has been highly debated and questioned. One idea of where poverty has stemmed
from that has have been considered as a catalyst for poverty has been discrimination between
races and the lack of civil rights for minorities. Bruce Hartford, brings to light that those in
poverty are categorized in two groups, those who are the deserving poor and the undeserving
poor. The deserving poor being those who are victims of accident, war trauma, born into poor
circumstances, who should be assisted and aided, and the underserving poor being those who
are addicted to drinking and drugs, those who are lazy and unwilling to find an honest job, who

should not be aided because it only gives them incentive to continue making the life choices they
made to put themselves in that position. The liberal view is that in most cases the root cause of
long-term poverty is lack of opportunity. Inadequate education, lack of job training, no child
care, inadequate public transportation, no jobs available, or jobs denied because of race, gender,
or some other form of discrimination. (Hartford, Bruce, February 2013). The central concept
behind this view is that these groups are discriminated and not given enough resources to rid
themselves of poverty. Another theory that reasons where poverty comes from, as explained by
Walter E. Williams, is that the causes of poverty are quite simple and straightforward.
Generally, individual people or entire nations are poor for one or more of the following reasons:
(1) they cannot produce many things highly valued by others; (2) they can produce things valued
by others but they are prevented from doing so; or (3) they volunteer to be poor (Williams,
W.E., April 2011). He states that economic failure is caused by an economy, by any reason, to not
be able offer products that are valued and used to sustain economic structure. These two ideas of
how poverty is created, provided by both economists, are just some of the many theorized roots
of poverty that have been discussed and debated.

Statistics of Poverty