Policy Change Memo

4047 Words17 Pages
Implementation of Policy Change to Address Poverty in America The purpose of this memorandum is to give you an in-depth look into the complex social issues of poverty in America. This memorandum will touch upon key points that will be essential to know as you begin to devise your plan of action against poverty in America. Findings from organizations such as the United States Census Bureau make it apparent that there needs to be changes made in U.S. policy to address the steadily increasing poverty rate in America. Reviewing the dynamics, history, and overall scope of poverty will reveal the wide range of policy responses available to your administration. This memo will reveal why the U.S. Government needs to fully commit to decreasing poverty…show more content…
Misconceptions about the poor are commonly made. Many label the impoverished as being individuals who do not value there education. The impoverished are often looked at as people who fail to invest in their human capital and take interest in growing and receiving an education. The problem is not that the poor do not value their education; the problem is the disparities in education and the education gap of lower-income children and their peers. Lower-income children are not always given the same opportunity to receive a high quality education. When impoverished children are subjected to an education where there is a 35 to 1 student-teacher ratio and limited amount of class materials and resources such as books, they are sent a message that no one values them or their education, causing many students to lose their passion for education. The impoverished are also viewed as individuals who cannot handle their finances and save for a rainy day. Many like to believe that the impoverished do not know the value of a dollar, and only splurge on frivolous things. The reality is that lower-income families barley makes enough to cover their bills. Many poor people live paycheck and paycheck, and are often not in a position to create an emergency cash fund. The impoverished are also often categorized as people who are lazy and don’t like to work. Poverty is often…show more content…
Poverty is the state for the majority of the world’s people and nations. Global decisions, policies, and practices are typically influenced, driven, or formulated by the rich and powerful. As a result, a few get wealthy while the majority struggle. Globalization has contributed to growing inequality across countries and to social and economic exclusion and marginalization. According to Iceland, “The poorest 20% of the global population has not benefited much from general improvements. Of the world’s population living in developing and transition economies, 2.8 billion, or almost half, live on less than $2 a day.” There has been an extreme measure of poverty throughout the world that has lead to material and income deprivation across several regions. Sadly among the wealth nation in the world, the United States has a greater proportion of people who are poor. The United States having the highest GNP per capita in the world, at $26,400, has higher levels of both absolute and relative poverty than other rich countries in Northern and Western Europe. This reflects inequality and an uneven distribution (both factors that attribute to poverty) of wealth in
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