Full Description
FOREWORD INDIES FINALIST — POLITICAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
NAUTILUS BOOK AWARDS SILVER MEDALIST — SOCIAL CHANGE & SOCIAL JUSTICE
ERIC HOFFER BOOK AWARD 1ST RUNNER UP — CULTURE & MONTAIGNE MEDAL NOMINEE
"A valuable resource in the fight against poverty." —Publishers Weekly
"An exploration of why so many Americans are struggling financially . . . A down-to-earth overview of the causes and effects of poverty and possible remedies." —Kirkus Reviews
Water. Food. Housing. The most basic and crucial needs for survival, yet 40 percent of people in the United States don't have the resources to get them. With key policy changes, we could eradicate poverty in this country within our lifetime—but we need to get started now.
Nearly 40 million people in the United States live below the poverty line—about $26,200 for a family of four. Low-income families and individuals are everywhere, from cities to rural communities. While poverty is commonly seen as a personal failure, or a deficiency of character or knowledge, it's actually the result of bad policy.
Public policy has purposefully erected barriers that deny access to basic needs, creating a society where people can easily become trapped—not because we lack the resources to lift them out, but because we are actively choosing not to. Poverty is close to inevitable for low-wage workers and their children, and a large percentage of these people, despite qualifying for it, do not receive government aid.
From Joanne Samuel Goldblum and Colleen Shaddox, Broke in America offers an eye-opening and galvanizing look at life in poverty in this country: how circumstances and public policy conspire to keep people poor, and the concrete steps we can take to end poverty for good.
In clear, accessible prose, Goldblum and Shaddox detail the ways the current system is broken and how it's failing so many of us. They also highlight outdated and ineffective policies that are causing or contributing to this unnecessary problem.
Every chapter features action items readers can use to combat poverty—both nationwide and in our local communities, including the most effective public policies you can support and how to work hand-in-hand with representatives to affect change.
So far, our attempted solutions have fallen short because they try to "fix" poor people rather than address the underlying problems. Fortunately, it's much easier to fix policy than people. Essential and timely, Broke in America offers a crucial road map for securing a brighter future.
Contents
Contents
Foreword [TK]
Introduction
Chapter 1 Seeing US Poverty Throwing Out the Caricature
Part I Basic Needs
Chapter 2 Water Running Dry
Chapter 3 Food Hungry in America
Chapter 4 Housing No Place to Be Poor
Chapter 5 Power Shut Off
Chapter 6 Transportation Access Denied
Chapter 7 Hygiene A Problem Swept Under the Rug
Chapter 8 Health Health ≠ Health Care
Part II Forms of Oppression
Chapter 9 Racism Stealing Homes
Chapter 10 Sexism Women's Work
Chapter 11 Denial of Political Power Government Not of, by, or for Poor People
Chapter 12 Mental Health Discrimination Poverty Is Trauma
Chapter 13 High-Poverty Schools Class Matters
Part III Solutions
Chapter 14 Possibilities The Poor Don't Need to Be with You Always
Chapter 15 Advocacy Making Change
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
About the Authors
