1)Who do you think is poor, both in the United States and globally?
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2)Why do you believe people are poor in the United States and globally?
The poor are the people who qualify for and who are below the United States poverty line. Based on the findings from the PowerPoint it is obvious that the Welfare Reform of 1996 left more people in poverty if not leaving people in far worse condition than when they were receiving benefits. The US poverty line does not adequately encompass the entire poverty class.
3)What do you think is being done about poverty (e.g., specific policies and programs in the United States and globally) and how well do you think poverty is being addressed?
EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit), Food Stamps, TANF(Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) are a few programs that were created to provided assistance to low income families. I think the EITC is a great way to get money back to families, but it does not address their day-to-day struggles and only provides assistance once a year. Also people who do not know how to best manage their finances will not allocate their monies efficiently. Food Stamps give families what the poverty line is based on... groceries. The problem with Food Stamps is that they just recently included a healthy option for food such as fresh fruits. I feel like these programs are a starts and possibly a bandage that only elongate the problem.
4)What do you personally think should be done about poverty in United States and globally (e.g., specific private and government policies, programs, etc. that you would recommend)?
I think there ought to be more focus on financial literacy. Places like Check Cashing stores, Title pawns, rent-to-own stores often lead to financial destruction.
