How Bad Is Poverty In The U. S.?
The results of recent private study show that 20% of Americans live in poverty. But how bad is it for those poor? According to an article in the magazine News Informant, the reality may be that a large percentage of those who show up as poor are only poor for short periods of time. This is not to minimize the effects of the situation on those who end up in this category. Understanding the realities of poverty in the U. S. is important for finding appropriate ways to alleviate poverty.
(PRWEB) October 22, 2004
(PRWEB) October 22, 2004 – An article in the most recent issue of the weekly web magazine News Informant looks at the problems of poverty in the U. S. According to the article, a recent study performed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation show that 1 in 5 Americans live in poverty. This confirms the growth in the number of Americans living below the poverty line that was reported by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics last summer. The number is alarming, but what does it mean.
As the article states, some long-term studies indicate that a large percentage of those designated as poor live below the poverty level for short periods of time. This does not mean that poverty is non-existent or that those who live in short-term poverty do not suffer. It also does not contradict the notion that 1990s welfare reform may now be adding to the misery of the poor, according to News Informant editor Bernard Perlstein. “Under the guidelines of the welfare reform legislation passed in the 1990s, the states are not as easily able to come to the rescue of those who found jobs in the late 1990s but have not been able to hold onto them today, in the more sluggish U. S. economy,” says Perlstein.
The News Informant article, entitled “Is U. S. Poverty Growing,” discusses the problems of both short-term and long-term poverty, including its relation to health coverage.
The News Informant article in its entirety, and its sources, can be found on the web at: http://www. newsinformant. com/2004_10_18/social_issues. php#000836 (http://www. newsinformant. com/2004_10_18/social_issues. php#000836). A free registration is required to view the article.
To request a free copy of the article, or to obtain reprint rights or other use of the article, please contact Media@newsinformant. com.
About News Informant:
News Informant, a publication of News Informant Inc., is a weekly electronic magazine focusing on news analysis of important domestic and global issues that are not sufficiently covered by the U. S. media. The magazine uses respected worldwide online source material to render original information and perspectives. The periodical follows the slogan, “It’s Not Just the News -- It’s What’s Behind the News.”
News Informant, founded in 2003, was the brainchild of Bernard Perlstein, who believed that broadcast and electronic journalism too often focused on the excitement of immediate events, to the detriment of analysis of causes and possible solutions.
The magazine is the premier electronic source for news analysis on issues significant to U. S. residents. Making use of features that can only efficiently be provided through the Internet, the magazine, in addition to articles, provides immediate links to additional sources of information concerning the topic at hand.
About Bernard Perlstein:
Bernard Perlstein, founder and editor of News Informant, as well as regular contributor, has had a life-long interest in what is known in the social sciences as “political economy.” Mr. Perlstein established this magazine in order to provide, “the depth of coverage of the vital political, economic and social issues, in a concise format geared for the information age.” His specialties are in Politics, Economics and Foreign Relations. Mr. Perlstein majored in Government and minored in Economics at Oberlin College. He earned his BS in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MBA from De Paul University.
For additional information on News Informant or Mr. Perlstein, or for media inquiries, please contact:
Tonya D. Hottmann,
News Informant Inc.
312-644-9868
Http://www. newsinformant. com (http://www. newsinformant. com)
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