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Essay On Poverty In The 21st Century

799 Words4 Pages

A Quick Look At 21st Century Poverty

Since the 1960’s, government programs have considerably lowered the number of households living in poverty, giving families access to necessities such as food and healthcare. The number of families living below the poverty line fell 6.2-percent between 1959 and 2014, and incomes doubled, rising from $17,292 to $30,176 annually between 1970 and 2014. In 1970, the growing economy combined with government programs slashed the poverty rate in half. Massive growth of the U.S. economy also fueled this improvement.

Despite this early success, the poverty rate rose again over time due to various crises, such as the oil crisis of 1999 and the recession of 2014. Overtime, the poverty rate has ebbed and flowed. However, household incomes continued to rise steadily. Personal incomes took big leaps in 1980, then again in 1990, and incomes have held steady at over $30,000 per year since 2014.

A Time Capsule of Poverty in the 21st Century …show more content…

That year, Congress approved the Economic Opportunity Act, which civil right laws and an outline to improve financial opportunities through anti-poverty initiatives, education, employment, legislation and healthcare legislation. The act led to the modern version of programs such as the Head Start Program, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security improvements and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These programs have lifted millions of households out of poverty, allowed individuals to pursue higher learning and improved the quality of life for many families and individuals. Between 1964 and 1973, the poverty rate fell nearly 50-percent, and this trend continues to this

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