Preview

Argumentative Essay About Poverty In America

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1810 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Argumentative Essay About Poverty In America
Homelessness affects three and a half million people living in the United States each year. Unfortunately, families with children are the fastest growing variable of the homeless population (“Helping the Homeless” 1). There are many different variables that results in these people falling into poverty. These families or individuals are often forgotten or ignored, resulting in dropping out of their schooling to search for an employment opportunity. While some believe that these individuals should use their own resources to find their way out of poverty, others find that programs should be provided within the community to aid these individuals. These individuals should have to get back onto their own feet. However, they should have some government …show more content…
There are many factors why a person may end up in poverty. There are causes that have remained the same, such as paying for basic necessities such as food, shelter, and medical care. As of recent, a new factor has disabled the poverty ridden even further. The American Recession of 2008 weakened the United States economy, and because of this, many Americans lost their jobs. Wages remained the same, while the cost of living went up. Many hoping to sell their homes were crushed when the housing market crashed, reducing the value of their property. Mortgages and rents increased, many Americans could not keep up on these crumbling bills with their stagnant wages, some were pushed to the extreme, homelessness (“Helping the Homeless” 1). The United States Census Bureau determines poverty as one adult and a single related child living in a household with a $15,030 or less annual income. Extreme poverty is depicted as those whose income is 50% less than that of the poverty rate (“Poverty facts and figures” 1). This income is not entirely at the disposal of the individual. This income must first go through taxes, and must then be split to accommodate other aspects of the person's life-such as debts and expenses that they may have accumulated. After all these needs are met, there is not much left, assuming that this person has a steady paying job. To make ends meet, the individual may seek assistance from the government in the form of money, food, or

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Most people describe poverty as a lack of essential items, such as food, clothing, and shelter. When individuals are not able to afford nutritious meals, attend school regularly, or have access to health care, regardless of their income, they can be considered to be in poverty. The new face of poverty involves many people who are homeless because problems that arose, or unforeseen circumstances occurred, forcing them into these situations.…

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The United States defines poverty for a family of four as being less than $16,036 per year, or $4,009 per person (Leone 12). People find themselves under this line for an innumerable amount of reasons. Some of these causes are under one's control and others are greater factors beyond an individual's power. Each family or individual person has unique and separate reasons for living in a state poverty. There is no way to try and define them all. Focusing in, three main topics arise that encompass the most predominant reasons for a person to fall into poverty. Education, family life and influence, along with the business cycle may work individually or together to cause poverty. These three leading causes are presented and discussed along with facts prevalent to the issue in the section below.…

    • 2034 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    What does it mean to be “poor” in America? For the average person, the word poverty implies significant physical hardship. For example, the lack of a warm, adequate home, nutritious food or reasonable clothing for one’s children is a hardship for the average person. By that measure, very few of the 30 million plus individuals defined as “living in poverty” by the government are actually poor. Therefore, I have to agree with Segal, “What is poverty to one person may not seem so bad to another” (Segal, 2010, p.173). The United States government definite poverty by “absolute power” (Segal, 2010, p.173), which they use to determine if an individual or family is poor. Absolute power is a fixed predetermined annual pretax cash income of individuals or families. The Census Bureau deems a household poor if its income falls below federally specified levels (US Census Bureau).It is referred to as the threshold and guidelines for poverty. The thresholds are used mainly for statistical purposes- for instance, preparing the estimates of the number of Americans in poverty for each year’s report. For example, for a four-person family unit with two children, the poverty threshold is $21,834.00 and for a one-or two-person family units, the poverty threshold differs by age (Census…

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Familial Poverty

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Familial poverty is an exponential issue in our community, many factors contribute to poverty and many more concerning familial poverty. In the Denver Metro Homeless Initiative's most recent observational study, information indicates that a large percentage, two-hundred and twenty four out of three-hundred and forty households with children are homeless. While there are government programs to assist underprivileged and impoverished families such as welfare, food stamps, free and reduced lunch for children, and many more; on a situational basis, these programs do not always insure financial security. While there is an effort to assist those in need, many believe that these efforts are menial and are truly making no difference. Some institutions…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What is poverty? Poverty is not being able to afford basic needs. The poverty line in America is different third-world countries. Some people who are in poverty here would be considered rich somewhere else. A lot of people confuse need and want. They buy things they want instead of what they need. People take the things they have for granted. For example, if they have a house, they want a bigger one, but there are some people out there who just want somewhere to live.…

    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Homeless in America

    • 1695 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Homelessness and poverty are linked. Poor people are frequently unable to pay for housing, food, child care, health care, and education. Difficult choices must be made when limited resources cover only some of these necessities. Often it is housing, which absorbs a high proportion of income, which must be dropped. Being poor mean being an illness, an accident, or a paycheck away from living on the streets.…

    • 1695 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Poverty in America is a form of murder to the weakest and most innocent of our society. Struggling parents are more apt to take their frustrations out on their children when they are faced with the stress of mounting bills, inadequate housing, or lack of stable and supportive employment. In the last 10 years here in America, there have been well over 20,000 children who have been murdered as a direct result of living in an impoverished home. The totals are devastating when compared to the fact that fewer soldiers have died in the entire span of the war in Afghanistan. More than 75% of these children are under the age of four. Over half of them are under the age of one. (Ref: Childhelp.org)…

    • 1556 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Poverty In America Essay

    • 589 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Poverty is a big problem in the Americas. In 2010, 15.1% of all citizens were below the poverty line- and people aren’t magically getting wealthier. A question has been rising: Are people able to change their social and financial status? Is it fixed, or changeable, or somewhere in between? It all depends on how willing a person is to try to get out of poverty. If one sits around and does nothing but cry about how poor they are, they will not be as successful as someone who keeps their head up looking for opportunities. In conclusion, some people can move up in status, while some can’t.…

    • 589 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Poverty in America

    • 1739 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Many Americans would describe poverty as destitution: an inability to provide a family with nutritious food, clothing, and reasonable shelter. A poll called “Poverty Pulse” was taken in 2002. It asked "How would you describe being poor in the U.S.?”…

    • 1739 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Poverty In America

    • 878 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Poverty has been on the rise in America, mainly because of the recession and now it is reaching new heights. Even though the government is trying to make more beneficial tax cuts, and find other various solutions, poverty levels continue to rise drastically. But to first find the solution ourselves we must first know what causes poverty and what it is. A simple definition of it is, poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or finances. Absolute poverty refers to the deprivation of basic human needs, which commonly includes food, water, sanitation, clothing, shelter, health care and education.…

    • 878 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Poverty is not just a problem in America, poverty is not just a problem in foreign countries, poverty is not just among a certain race, poverty is a worldwide issue that can affect anyone, even your community. Seeing examples of poverty throughout life can be very emotional, it lives all around. Pretty much anywhere there are people who are homeless, maybe begging for food or money. People walking to get where they need to go because they can not afford a car or possibly gas. Seeing kids at school come in without a jacket on when it is snowing outside because their families can not afford a winter coat for them. These are all examples of poverty.…

    • 1659 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Poverty In America

    • 1784 Words
    • 8 Pages

    To truly comprehend the profound impact that poverty has had on America, there must first be an understanding of what poverty essentially means and how it was caused. Webster’s dictionary describes poverty as “the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions” (Webster’s Dictionary). The textbook however, offers a more in-depth perspective on the term stating that poverty is “a standard of living below the minimum needed for the maintenance of adequate diet, health and shelter” (Eitzen 181). This definition implies that the poverty threshold is based on those who can make the minimum amount of money required to maintain a decent level of life and those who cannot. Although these particular descriptions of poverty are not necessarily…

    • 1784 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The American dream used to feel like a light at the end of a dark tunnel, and there was always an opportunity to do better. Now the American dream has died, and America is not what it used to be because America has crippled itself by allowing Americans to live off of the government for so long. This is not to say that everyone on welfare is lazy because that cannot be proven. Though according to Mike Emanuel, a chief congressional correspondent for FOX News Channel, “Newly released Census data reveals nearly 110 million Americans – more than one-third of the country – are receiving government assistance of some kind” (Emanuel). The government assistance is constantly being abused, and instead of doing something about it, it seems…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Poverty has been and is still a global issue, especially in the United States. Statistics show that there are over 1.5 million currently homeless or in poverty in the United States. Although, organizations have been and are still being formed today in order to stop or slow poverty, the rate of poverty still continues to grow over (Farguheson).While a person is going through the motions of poverty throughout their lives, there are many contributions that may have put them into that situation and is keeping them their. Which in turn can have negative effects on not only the victim of poverty, but on society as well. There are many factors (causes) and barriers that may lead up to poverty that may have vast effects not only on its victims but on society as…

    • 425 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Poverty in America can be one of the leading causes of obesity. The people who are not in poverty are the ones that can afford to eat healthy for themselves and for the environment. Not only do people who are dealing in poverty can be obese, but they are more likely to be because they have more risk factors than others. There are a number of studies that have found positive associations between food insecurity and obesity. The FRAC (Food Research and Action Center) stated that, “In a 12- state study of 66,553 adults, those who were food insecure had 32 percent greater odds of being obese compared with those who were food secure. Obesity was significantly associated with food insecurity among the following five population sub-groups: women…

    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays