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Broke in America : seeing, understanding, and ending US poverty / Joanne Samuel Goldblum and Colleen Shaddox.

Summary:

"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 They also highlight outdated and ineffective policies that are causing or contributing to this unnecessary problem.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 roadmap for securing a brighter future." -- Publisher's description

Record details

  • ISBN: 9781950665464
  • ISBN: 1950665461
  • ISBN: 9781637743454
  • ISBN: 1637743459
  • Physical Description: xxi, 298 pages : illustrations, charts ; 24 cm
  • Publisher: Dallas, Texas : BenBella Books, [2021]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 263-280) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
Introduction -- Seeing US poverty: throwing out the caricature -- Basic needs. Water: running dry ; Food: hungry in America ; Housing: no place to be poor ; Power: shut off ; Transportation: access denied ; Hygiene: a problem swept under the rug ; Health: health = health care -- Forms of oppression. Racism: stealing homes ; Sexism: women's work ; Denial of political power: government not of, buy, or for poor people ; Mental health discrimination: poverty is trauma ; High-poverty schools: class matters -- Solutions. Possibilities: the poor don't need to be with you always ; Advocacy: making change.
Subject:
Poor > United States > Social conditions.
Poverty > United States.
United States > Social policy > 21st century.
Genre:
Informational works.

Available copies

  • 14 of 15 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at McDowell County Public Library.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 15 total copies.
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Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Marion Library 362.5097 GOL (Text) 37810435774830 Adult Nonfiction Available -

Accessibility Features

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24510. ‡aBroke in America : ‡bseeing, understanding, and ending US poverty / ‡cJoanne Samuel Goldblum and Colleen Shaddox.
264 1. ‡aDallas, Texas : ‡bBenBella Books, ‡c[2021]
264 4. ‡c©2021
300 . ‡axxi, 298 pages : ‡billustrations, charts ; ‡c24 cm
336 . ‡atext ‡btxt ‡2rdacontent
337 . ‡aunmediated ‡bn ‡2rdamedia
338 . ‡avolume ‡bnc ‡2rdacarrier
504 . ‡aIncludes bibliographical references (pages 263-280) and index.
5050 . ‡aIntroduction -- Seeing US poverty: throwing out the caricature -- Basic needs. Water: running dry ; Food: hungry in America ; Housing: no place to be poor ; Power: shut off ; Transportation: access denied ; Hygiene: a problem swept under the rug ; Health: health = health care -- Forms of oppression. Racism: stealing homes ; Sexism: women's work ; Denial of political power: government not of, buy, or for poor people ; Mental health discrimination: poverty is trauma ; High-poverty schools: class matters -- Solutions. Possibilities: the poor don't need to be with you always ; Advocacy: making change.
520 . ‡a"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 roadmap for securing a brighter future." -- Publisher's description
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650 0. ‡aPoverty ‡zUnited States. ‡0(CARDINAL)290341
651 0. ‡aUnited States ‡xSocial policy ‡y21st century.
655 7. ‡aInformational works. ‡2lcgft ‡0(CARDINAL)351103
7001 . ‡aShaddox, Colleen, ‡d1963- ‡eauthor. ‡0(CARDINAL)846789
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