As in any other playoff, candidate rhetoric let loose during the U.S. presidential race can be tough. We’ve held a front row seat to the 2012 showdown for over a year, with tensions still rising as the general election looms nearer. Some of the barbs launched along the campaign trail have been laughable: Newt Gingrich’s television ad incriminating Mitt Romney for his ability to speak French comes to mind. Others are not. The dialogue surrounding U.S. poverty and inequality, two issues that are hotter than ever during a deep recession that the nation has shown incapable of simply shaking off [...]
Poverty Measure
The Rising Age Gap in Economic Well-Being
This study compares household incomes of families headed by older adults (65-plus) with those headed by their younger counterparts (35 and under). Trends show that since 1984, the households with older adults have seen a significant jump in income, while younger households have been declining. This trend of older households making larger gains is... »
“Near poor” startle the census
The Supplemental Poverty Measure found 51 million Americans with incomes less than 50 percent above the poverty line. This places 100 million people either in poverty or among the “near poor,” a figure that exceeds the official count by 75 percent. The census reveals the causes and effects of various government programs upon a... »
Revised formula yields record poverty total of 49.1 million
A record number of Americans are now in poverty, according to new calculations that for the first time take into account the rising cost of medical care and other necesssities. Under the revised formula, those over 65 sustained the biggest increase in poverty. Also, for the first time the rate among Hispanics surpassed that... »