What Causes Poverty In America

Due to the extremely low wages, lack of food to support families, and the unequal distribution of wealth, it is clear that there is poverty in America. The first and most common cause of poverty within an average american household is the low wages. There is an increasing number of adults who have low paying jobs, and with the increase in divorces, many people have to support their families alone. Most of the population is actually two times below the poverty line according to their yearly income. According to the New York Times, “[h]alf the jobs in the nation pay less than $34,000 a year... [a] quarter pay below the poverty line…” With the majority of jobs already low-wage, welfare and taxes decrease the already struggling parents’ pay. Not

The second cause for poverty is the lack of sufficient food and food costs. Hunger has become a common feeling for families living in poverty. Food is a necessity and something that we can not avoid paying for. Even as much as “66 percent of households… have to choose between paying for medical care and food every year,” says feedingamerica.org. The fact that citizens have to choose between their own health and having enough food to eat really exposes that much of America is living in poverty. The last cause for poverty in the unequal distribution of wealth in America. Actually, according to Inequality.org, “America’s top 1 percent… holds nearly half the national wealth…”. It is easy to imagine that with only half of America’s wealth to support 99 percent of the country, that many families fall into poverty. Even in just the top 0.1 percent, many households own up to $20 million. The distribution of wealth in America is truly unfair. The families that need money the most are left with basically nothing while 1 percent of households in the US have a surplus of money and can afford anything. Overall, it is not hard to believe that there is poverty in America because of low incomes, lack of food, and the unequal distribution of