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Poverty Persists Because of Us
In Poverty, by America, sociologist Matthew Desmond argues that America’s welfare state doesn’t help those who need it the most.
America is one of the wealthiest nations on Earth, yet it has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. One in nine Americans lives below the poverty line, and 38 million people can’t afford basic necessities. Despite America’s GDP growing to $26 trillion in 2022, its poverty level hasn’t significantly budged since 1970. Why, in a country so affluent, does poverty persist? In Poverty, by America, Princeton University sociologist Matthew Desmond contends that…