Why is there still poverty in America?
Summary
TLDRThis video highlights the paradox of poverty in America, particularly in affluent areas like Lake County, Illinois, where families rely on charity for essentials like diapers. Despite being one of the richest countries, America faces high poverty rates, with 40 million people struggling to survive on less than $26,000 a year. The video explores the shift of poverty to the suburbs, the limitations of government safety nets, and how the lack of support disproportionately affects children. It calls for political action, showing that solutions to reduce poverty are achievable.
Takeaways
- đ Poverty in the United States is complex and doesn't always look like what people expect, even in wealthy areas.
- 𧷠In affluent counties like Lake County, Illinois, people rely on charities for essentials, including diapers.
- đž There is no government support for diapers in the U.S., making it difficult for low-income families to afford them.
- đ Almost 40 million Americans live in poverty, which is nearly one-eighth of the population.
- đïž Poverty has shifted from cities to the suburbs, but suburban counties spend much less on social support than urban areas.
- đ¶ One in six American children lives in poverty, often affecting their education and exposure to crime.
- đ U.S. safety-net programs have reduced elder poverty but do less for working-age adults and children compared to other developed countries.
- đșđž The U.S. has a relatively high child-poverty rate among wealthy nations, partly due to insufficient safety-net programs.
- đ” Proposals for cash benefits, like those in Canada, have been shown to reduce poverty, but political support in the U.S. is low.
- đ Poverty in America is not inevitable; other wealthy nations have successfully reduced it with political will and resources.
Q & A
What is the main issue highlighted at the beginning of the video?
-The video highlights poverty in America, focusing on how people in affluent areas are struggling to afford basic necessities like diapers.
Why do many American families struggle to afford diapers?
-There is no government support in the United States to help pay for diapers, and many poor families cannot afford the $70-80 monthly cost per child.
How has the nature of poverty in America changed over recent years?
-Poverty has shifted from being an inner-city phenomenon to the suburbs, where poverty is growing faster, yet there are fewer support resources available compared to urban areas.
Why is suburban poverty particularly challenging?
-Suburban counties spend significantly less on supporting poor residents than urban counties, making it difficult for suburban poor to access necessary resources.
Who is Ann Marie Mathis, and what did she do to address poverty in her community?
-Ann Marie Mathis is a local mother in Lake County, Illinois, who started a charity distributing second-hand childrenâs clothes and later focused on providing diapers due to overwhelming demand.
What impact has Ann Marie Mathis's charity had on the community?
-Since its founding, the charity has distributed over 1.2 million diapers, providing critical support to struggling families in the community.
Why do safety-net programs in the United States struggle to reduce child poverty effectively?
-American safety-net programs tend to benefit the elderly more than working-age adults and children, leaving many families without sufficient support.
How does child poverty in America compare to other wealthy countries like Finland?
-While both America and Finland have similar child-poverty rates before taxes and transfers, Finland's safety net reduces its child-poverty rate to about 3%, whereas America's remains high.
What are some of the limitations of the current safety-net programs in the United States?
-American safety-net programs are often restrictive, with behavioral conditions and bureaucratic requirements that limit eligibility and access, creating obstacles for people trying to escape poverty.
What potential solution for reducing child poverty in America is mentioned in the video?
-The video mentions the proposal by Michael Bennet, a Colorado senator, to provide monthly cash transfers of $300 per American child, similar to a program in Canada that reduced child poverty by a third.
Outlines
đŒ Struggles of Diaper Poverty in America
In affluent counties like Lake County, Illinois, families are queuing for basic necessities like diapers, a product not covered by government support. Parents resort to extreme measures like reusing diapers due to financial hardships. The U.S., despite its wealth and low unemployment rate, has nearly 40 million people living in poverty, with many struggling to afford basic needs, especially as poverty has shifted from cities to suburbs. Charities, such as one started by Ann Marie Mathis, help provide essentials like diapers to families in need.
đŠ How Safety Nets Help and Fall Short
While America has some safety-net programs like Social Security and food stamps, they disproportionately benefit the elderly, leaving working-age adults and children more vulnerable. Countries like Finland effectively reduce child poverty through broader benefits, while in the U.S., the restrictions and bureaucracy surrounding support programs make it difficult for many to qualify. Diapers, for example, aren't covered by existing programs, forcing families to rely on charities.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄPoverty
đĄSafety-net programs
đĄDiaper need
đĄSuburban poverty
đĄChild poverty
đĄIncome inequality
đĄCash transfers
đĄSocial Security
đĄFood stamps
đĄPolitical will
Highlights
People in affluent areas of America are struggling with poverty, queuing for basic necessities like diapers.
Some families are reusing diapers due to the lack of financial resources.
There is no government support in America to help pay for diapers, causing a significant struggle for many families.
Almost 40 million people in America are living in poverty, which is nearly one-eighth of the population.
Poverty is shifting from inner cities to suburbs, with 3 million more poor people in suburbs than in cities.
Suburban counties spend significantly less on supporting their poor residents compared to urban counties.
Ann Marie Mathis started a charity in her basement to distribute second-hand childrenâs clothes and diapers.
The cost of diapers is a significant burden for families, with expenses ranging from $70-80 per child per month.
Poverty is becoming more concentrated, affecting children's education and exposure to crime.
One child in every six in America is living in poverty.
President Lyndon B. Johnson launched a war on poverty in the 1960s, introducing various social programs.
Safety-net programs have been successful in reducing poverty, especially among the elderly.
Compared to other wealthy countries, America's safety-net programs are less effective for working-age adults and children.
Safety-net programs in America do not cover diapers, leading to a reliance on charity for many families.
The debate in America about whether giving poor people cash leads to dependency is contrasted with evidence from other countries.
Canada's child benefit program has significantly reduced child poverty.
Senator Michael Bennet has proposed monthly cash transfers for each American child to help combat poverty.
The political will to reduce poverty in America is low, as poor people are less likely to vote or be heard.
The film's director, Anna, suggests that with resources and a strong economy, reducing poverty is a political choice.
Transcripts
Whatever you think poverty today looks like...
...it probably doesnât look much like this
In one of the most affluent counties in America...
...people are queuing for handouts...
...of diapers
Weâve had clients come to us that have said...
...Iâve rinsed out a diaper and Iâve re-used it...
...Iâve turned a diaper inside out and Iâve re-used it
Sometimes Iâve left my child in a diaper for far longer than I should have
There is no government support in America to help pay for diapers
And many poor families struggle to afford them
America is the richest big country in the world
Its unemployment rate couldnât be much lower
So why does it have so many people living in poverty?
In America almost 40m people are living in poverty
Thatâs nearly one-eighth of the population living...
...on less than $26,000 a year for a family of four
Hereâs the thing though...
...poverty in absolute terms has actually decreased in recent years
But the nature of poverty is changing...
...and that change is making it much harder to fight
Poverty used to be more of an inner-city phenomenon
But as housing costs rocketed, poverty exploded in the suburbs
Now there are 3m more poor people in suburbs than cities
Yet suburban counties spend one-tenth as much...
...to support poor residents as urban counties
Which is why some residents of Lake County, Illinois...
...depend on charity handouts for diapers
Our schedule for the rest of the year
So you can come twice a month, just not twice in the same week
Ann Marie Mathis is a local mum
She set up the charity nine years ago in her basement
Initially she distributed second-hand childrenâs clothes to poor families
But soon she found there was an overwhelming need for diapers
Diapers costs $70-80 a month per child
So thatâs an expense that many, many families struggle to afford
People are faced with you know not only diaper need...
...but by hunger, homelessness
Itâs very prevalent even here in whatâs considered a wealthier community
Xavier has been using the diaper pantry for the last few months
For her itâs a lifeline
Our budget goes on rent and food...
...anything thatâs not covered by health insurance
Let me take this shirt off, youâve got another one on
Clothing is a big thing for five kids
Thereâs a programme, they help out a lot with healthy food
And you can get some vouchers with beans, cheese, milk
I cook a lot of spaghetti because it usually lasts longer
Poverty in America is becoming more concentrated
We know that the effect of being poor and living in a poor neighbourhood...
...is much worse than being poor and living in an integrated neighbourhood
Especially for children, in terms of the kind of school that they go to...
...or their exposure to crime
And itâs children who are affected the most
One child in every six in America is poor
I see other families and theyâre out enjoying this and theyâre at the mall...
...or theyâre at these events
My kids ask and I had to keep saying I canât, we canât
How did it come to this?
To understand we need to go back to the 1960s
President Lyndon B. Johnson went on a poverty tour of America
And he was so shocked by what he saw he launched an ambitious plan
And this administration today, here and now...
...declares unconditional war on poverty in America
That war involved an array of programmes...
...designed to create a safety net...
...many of which still exist in some form today
These included expanding both the cash benefit for the elderly...
...called Social Security, as well as food stamps...
...which help poor families buy food
And largely they were successful
If we look at the dataâwithout the safety-net programmes...
...roughly the same number of Americans would be as poor today...
...as they were in the 1960s
But if you include the effect of the safety-net programmes...
...that number comes right down
Elder poverty in the 1950s was a huge problem...
...but along the way Social Security hugely reduced...
...the amount of poverty among the elderly
Sounds good, but not if you compare Americaâs efforts...
...with other wealthier countries
Before the benefit of safety nets is applied...
...Americaâs poverty rate is comparatively low
But with it included, itâs one of the worst performing...
...only slightly above Costa Rica
In part, thatâs because Americaâs safety-net programmes...
...have tended to benefit the elderly more than other groups...
...like working-age adults and children
Those programmes are not doing as much as they might...
...in a country like Finland, for example
Finland has a child-poverty rate before taxes and transfers...
...that are on par with America
And after its safety net kicks in you cut that down to about 3%
In America you donât do that at all
Child poverty in America is remarkably high...
...for an advanced, developed democracy
You have to ask yourself what is the future of a society...
...that doesnât invest in its children?
The problem is food stamps, for example...
...can only be spent on specific things...
...which doesnât always include the most obvious items
Unlike Social Security for the elderly...
...whose recipients are handed cash to do as they please
Itâs lunchtime and back at the pantry itâs been a very busy day
Weâve given out 5,925 diapers so far...
...with an hour and a half left to go
Since Ann Marie started the charity...
...she says theyâve given out 1.2m diapers
And every week more and more families are registering
The safety-net programmes that exist in the United States in general...
...do not cover diapers and thatâs a common misconception in the community
The problem is safety-net programmes are targeted...
...so that many people donât qualify
They are restrictive. There are behavioural conditions...
...increasingly attached to them...
...and all of this can lead to a bureaucratic nightmare of red tape...
...from which itâs almost impossible to escape
In America thereâs an ongoing debate about whether...
...giving poor people cash leads to dependency
Yet the evidence from other countries...
...shows that cash benefits can really help dent poverty
Since Canada implemented a child benefit of a few hundred dollars a month...
...they have seen their child-poverty numbers decline by about a third
Itâs reasonable to expect that a programme of similar magnitude in America...
...would also generate the exact same effect
One candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination...
...has even made this a central part of his campaign
Iâm Michael Bennet from Colorado...
Colorado senator, Michael Bennet, has proposed monthly cash transfers...
...of $300 for each American child...
...as part of wider proposals to help poor people
School kids all over this country, theyâre living at a time...
...when we have got the worst income inequality that weâve had in 100 years
Youâve probably never heard of him...
...which tells you a lot about Americaâs political appetite for reducing poverty
Poor people are much less likely to vote...
...so their issues are rarely vote-winners
If youâre working two jobs...
...and trying to make sure your kids are walking safely to school...
...in a gang-infested neighbourhood...
...are you going to the block party for your member of Congress...
...and making a campaign donation so that he or she will listen to you?
The pantryâs closing for the day
For the families who use it, poverty does not need to be inevitable
There is a way out. Other countries around the world have done it
Itâs really possible
Presuming youâre a wealthy country with the resources...
...and you have a reasonably strong economy
The choice is a political one
I know that thereâs something better coming...
...and then weâll look back on it like we got through it
Weâre strong. Weâre going to be stronger because of it
Iâm Anna, the director of this film
If youâd like to see more of the journey that brought us to the diaper journey...
...you can watch the story behind American poverty...
...by clicking on the link opposite
The other link will take you to some of the resources that we used...
...when we were researching this film...
...including other exclusive material
Donât forget to subscribe so you can see all our latest releases...
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Thanks for watching
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