Poverty and Power

Poverty is serious problem in the United States, more so than commonly imagined, and more so in this country than in other industrialized nations. Most Americans believe poverty is largely the result of people being deficient in intelligence, determination, education, and other personal traits, but poverty is a structural problem, resulting from failings of our political, economic, cultural, and social systems. Poverty and Power, Fourth Edition examines the social forces and institutional problems that contribute to growing inequality and the persistence of poverty in the United States. The author argues that a renewed war on poverty can be successful, but only through a popular movement to bring about significant change in the workings of American economic, political, and cultural institutions. New to the Fourth Edition: New segment on the influence of job seekers' physical appearance on hiring decisions emphasizes that success is not simply a matter of education, skills, and training New data on the "Job Availability Problem" explains in detail why the monthly headline unemployment number is misleading New content on how corporations have become increasingly assertive political players explores the dramatic increase in corporate lobbying efforts and spending on corporate political action committees; the rise of billionaire political activists, and the creation of a powerful conservative political infrastructure in the states. Greater attention to neighborhoods marked by "extreme poverty" and to racially segregated and resource-deprived Black communities covers the extraordinary hardships experienced by the residents of these areas, while a new section on "The Geographical Isolation of the Affluent" discusses how isolation affects wealthy people's beliefs and perceptions about poverty in the United States and what policies they deem acceptable.