There are numerous social issues in the United States that hinder its progress, damage its reputation, and cause stagnation of its communities. Poverty is one of the most critical of them, as it affects approximately 12% of the U.S. population (Magnus, 2020). While the causes of poverty have been analyzed by many scholars, there is no single approach that can resolve this issue. This essay will discuss poverty, its primary causes, reasons for its prevalence, and how society can alleviate it.
Poverty stems from a complex set of flaws in modern society. It is a socially constructed issue that comes from the gap between wealthy and poor, which increases with each step in economic opportunities (Magnus, 2020). For example, education is the most efficient way to eradicate poverty in the long term (Reardon, 2018). However, issues with the quality and accessibility of education by low-income households in the United States prevent it from providing the necessary impact (Reardon, 2018). Moreover, there is a significant disparity in opportunities between urban and rural areas that further affect poverty levels (Magnus, 2020). It is challenging for impoverished people to escape this economic hole.
However, the situation can not be resolved without multiple interventions that will provide people with a chance to escape the bottom. Anti-poverty government initiatives, such as Medicare, Social Security, refundable tax credits, and other safety-net programs, can be highly efficient in eradicating this social issue (Magnus, 2020). Not only the government but society itself must accept that helping impoverished individuals is beneficial for the country.
In conclusion, poverty in the United States impacts a significant portion of the population, yet it can be resolved by addressing the primary contributing factors. It can be done by resolving other societal issues, such as high costs of education, the lack of job opportunities in some communities, and unequal payments. Furthermore, the scale of poverty in the United States has been diminished, which reduced the willingness of the government to act upon some of the initiatives (Magnus, 2020). By establishing new ways to share the wealth among the population, the United States can significantly alleviate poverty.
References
Magnus, A. (2020). Poverty in the United States: An analysis of its measurement and the long-term social and economic costs (27997797) [Master’s thesis]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
Reardon, S. F. (2018). The Race for education. In D. B. Grusky & J. Hill (Eds.), Inequality in the 21st century (pp. 177-208). Routledge.