Journal of Economic Perspectives
ISSN 0895-3309 (Print) | ISSN 1944-7965 (Online)
Poverty in America: Trends and Explanations
Journal of Economic Perspectives
vol. 20,
no. 1, Winter 2006
(pp. 47–68)
(Complimentary)
Abstract
Despite robust growth in real GDP per capita in the last three decades, U.S. poverty rates have changed very little. We summarize some basic facts about poverty in the United States, relying on a combination of previously published data from the Census Bureau and our own tabulations based on Current Population Survey data. We then discuss and evaluate four determinants of changes in the poverty rate that have been advanced in the literature: the impact of labor market opportunities; the role of changes in family structure; the role played by government antipoverty programs; and the role of immigration.Citation
Hoynes, Hilary, W., Marianne E. Page, and Ann Huff Stevens. 2006. "Poverty in America: Trends and Explanations." Journal of Economic Perspectives, 20 (1): 47–68. DOI: 10.1257/089533006776526102JEL Classification
- H23 Taxation and Subsidies: Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
- I32 Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
- I38 Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
There are no comments for this article.
Login to Comment