“What is poverty? Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is getting sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, it is fear for the future, living day by day. Poverty means losing a child to an illness caused by dirty water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom” (World Bank, 2009). People are considered poor if their incomes are not sufficient to meet the basic needs of themselves or their families. The most common and stereotypical explanation for poverty is that the poor cause their own poverty because in America anything is possible if you want it. This “blame the poor” view does not apply to all poverty-stricken people, a big misperception is that poor people don't work. Not only are most poor people capable and more than willing to work hard and do so when they have the chance. The fact is that nearly half of the poor working-age population works, albeit minimally, and millions of them work full time. The drop in wages is very hard for families with dependent children. Due to changes in our economic structure, the availability of good-paying manufacturing jobs is limited. Most industries are outsourcing to other countries to minimize labor costs and using machinery to replace workers. Therefore younger adults, especially those with very little education, are forced to work in service-oriented jobs for lower pay, with no benefits and no chance for promotion. Because the minimum wage does not keep pace with inflation, it is nearly impossible to earn enough to keep families out of poverty. According to our text, prices for human beings must be understood and... middle of paper... ...should not be limited in case of poverty. Those in poverty need government help to get back on their feet and contribute to a successful economy.REFERENCESCliffsNotes.com. Causes and effects of poverty. June 1, 2011Nilsen, S.R. (2007). GAO. Retrieved June 1, 2011, from POVERTY IN AMERICA Consequences for Individuals and the Economy: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07343t.pdf.Sharp, A., Register, C., & Grimes, P. ( 2010). ECO 405: Economics of Social Issues: 2010 Custom Edition. (19th Edition). Boston: McGraw-Hill. Signorile, C. (2007). Identify the root causes of poverty. Retrieved May 31, 2011, from Constitutionally Right: http://constitutionallyright.com/2007/07/13/identifying-the-root-causes-of-poverty/.Web, P. (2009). Understanding poverty. Retrieved May 31, 2011, from The World Bank, Poverty: http://go.worldbank.org/rqbdctuxw0