Poverty in America Essay Example For Students

Poverty in America Essay This year celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the War on Poverty. Initiated by President Lindon B. Johnson, the war aimed to set the standard for a new age of government policy aimed at combating the rising poverty rates in America. Most notably, the speech resulted in Congress passing the Economic Opportunity Act, which formed the Office of Economic Opportunity to distribute federal funds towards impoverished citizens on a state and local level. Since that declaration over fifty years ago, federal spending on antipoverty programs has reached nearly $15 trillion inflation-constant dollars. With all of this spending toward reducing poverty in America, some progress was inevitable. Yet with the poverty rate still hovering at 15% and a record number of Americans living in poverty since the war has started, many have begun to reevaluate the current government policies and tactics being used to combat poverty in the nation. The persistent issue of poverty in America suggests a much deeper, more nuanced societal problem, seemingly resulting from familial instability, value systems, and everything in-between. Capitalism can be compared to any race. In any race, the reward is greatest for those who finish first. In the capitalism race, the fastest and most prepared competitors win the race. Welfare helps those in the class of poverty but what do they do with those checks on the 1st and 15th. If the people on welfare were hurting or trying to recover welfare wouldnt be a problem but when they stay on it for a long period it puts a strain on the American economy. We need a more demanding application for welfare to really see who needs the help and whose just trying to get a free check in the mail. According to Susan Mayer, who conducted a study on poverty, there are two types of poor people. Some simply lacked money but still had middle class values and benefit from government income support. Then there was the true lower class that would live in squalor even if their incomes were doubled. But how can we tell the difference between the two, you cant judge a book by its cover. So as to show that welfare is helping America we should have more accurate reports to help us outlook on what is really happening. Or should we banish welfare and live the rule of, the survival of the fittest. If pushed to survive and not spoon fed by the government maybe the lower class would show some initiative to work. But if that did not work it would put a lot of people on the streets begging and peddling. Or maybe the answer to this welfare is just giving America its basic needs to live. Both sides of the argument weigh heavily and are very strong. So will America ever see the day with no poverty or is poverty among us day to day. Bibliography: .