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Poverty In California

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Recommended: Three theoretical perspectives poverty

Californians today live in a state that is one of the fundamental blocks for the economy of the United States, which California’s economic model is based on the concept of mass production, circulations, and utilizations of goods and services. In addition, this model would permit new occupations to emerge throughout the years, enhancing the economy and providing an opportunity for young adults. However, this philosophy that was established by California’s economists is being overlooked by the recent bill that was approved by California’s legislature on April 4, 2016. This proposal is known as the Senate Bill 3 (SB 3) that was signed by California’s Governor Brown in legislation, enforcing California businesses to increase the income for their …show more content…

So, Democrats believe that the increase of the minimum wage would reduce poverty conditions in the state of California. While this statement does sound honest and truthful, one should still remain conscious of what defines the concept of poverty in California. For example, is poverty defined by one’s merit from a specific occupation? Or is poverty perceived by an individual’s social and economic status in a society? For the purposes of this section of the argument, we shall venture into the materialist (basic necessities) aspect of poverty. Thomas Sowell, a respected economist and political philosopher asserts that most Americans already possess the basic necessities without the increase of the minimum wage bill. Sowell supports his argument by discussing about how “most Americans [live] below the government-set poverty line have a washer and/or a dryer, as well as a computer” (Sowell). Additionally, “most Americans living below the official poverty line also own a motor vehicle and have more living space than the average European” (Sowell). Therefore, this goes against with the notion of the minimum wage bill that is attempting to reduce poverty conditions in California, bearing in mind that most Californian’s today possess the basic necessities to sustain themselves. However, one should take into consideration is that Sowell’s analogy of American and European poverty conditions is based on an approximation. This approximation was established by rational inspection and through the usage of statistical formulas that provide an insight into the difference between Americans and Europeans poverty

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