Poorly Understood What America Gets Wrong About Poverty

What if the idealized image of American society—a land of opportunity that will reward hard work with economic success—is completely wrong?

Few topics have as many myths, stereotypes, and misperceptions surrounding them as that of poverty in America. The poor have been badly misunderstood since the beginnings of the country, with the rhetoric only ratcheting up in recent times. Our current era of fake news, alternative facts, and media partisanship has led to a breeding ground for all types of myths and misinformation to gain traction and legitimacy.

Poorly Understood is the first book to systematically address and confront many of the most widespread myths pertaining to poverty. Mark Robert Rank, Lawrence M. Eppard, and Heather E. Bullock powerfully demonstrate that the realities of poverty are much different than the myths; indeed in many ways they are more disturbing. The idealized image of American society is one of abundant opportunities, with hard work being rewarded by economic prosperity. But what if this picture is wrong? What if poverty is an experience that touches the majority of Americans? What if hard work does not necessarily lead to economic well-being? What if the reasons for poverty are largely beyond the control of individuals? And if all of the evidence necessary to disprove these myths has been readily available for years, why do they remain so stubbornly pervasive? These are much more disturbing realities to consider because they call into question the very core of America's identity.

Armed with the latest research, Poorly Understood not only challenges the myths of poverty and inequality, but it explains why these myths continue to exist, providing an innovative blueprint for how the nation can move forward to effectively alleviate American poverty.

Mark Robert Rank is currently the Herbert S. Hadley Professor of Social Welfare in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. He is widely recognized as one of the foremost experts on issues of poverty, inequality, and social justice. He has been the recipient of many awards, and his research has been reported in a wide range of media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and National Public Radio.

Lawrence M. Eppard is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Shippensburg University. His areas of research include poverty, economic inequality, and racial inequities. He has recently published the book Rugged Individualism and the Misunderstanding of American Inequality (with Rank and Bullock), and is currently working on a book for Oxford University Press tentatively titled On Inequality and Freedom.

Heather E. Bullock is Professor of Psychology at the University of California at Santa Cruz. She also serves as the director of the Blum Center on Poverty, Social Enterprise, and Participatory Governance. Her areas of interest include the social psychological dimensions of economic inequality, as well as identifying the attitudes and beliefs that predict support for anti-poverty policies. She has published her research across a wide range of academic journals and is the author of two award winning books.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Section I: Who Are the Poor?
Chapter 2: Most Americans Will Experience Poverty
Chapter 3: The Poor Tend to Live Outside of Impoverished Inner City
Chapter 4: Poverty Spells Are Short but Frequent
Chapter 5: Whites Comprise the Largest Racial Group Experiencing Poverty

Section II: Why Is There Poverty?
Chapter 6: Hard Work is Not Sufficient
Chapter 7: Raising Education and Skill Levels Will Not Solve Poverty Alone
Chapter 8: Decision Making is Constrained for Those With Fewer Resources
Chapter 9: Poverty is Preventable

Section III: What Is the Cost of Poverty?
Chapter 10: America's Poor Are Worse Off than Elsewhere
Chapter 11: The Economic Cost of Poverty Is Enormous
Chapter 12: The Moral Ground to View Poverty Is Injustice

Section IV: Does Welfare Work?
Chapter 13: The U.S. Welfare State is Minimal
Chapter 14: Welfare Fraud is Scarce
Chapter 15: Government Programs Can Reduce Poverty

Section V: How Extensive Is Inequality?
Chapter 16: The U.S. is No Longer a Land of Upward Mobility and Opportunity
Chapter 17: The Playing Field is Uneven
Chapter 18: Inequality Matters

Section VI: Pulling It Together
Chapter 19: Why Do the Myths Persist?
Chapter 20: Reshaping Social Policy
Chapter 21: Creating Change

Appendix: Further Readings and Resources
Notes
Acknowledgements