Measuring Poverty in the United States: History and Current Issues
April 2006
Working Paper Number:
CES-06-11
Abstract
Formal measurement of poverty in the United States is now about 40 years old. This paper first briefly describes the origins and basis of the official poverty thresholds adopted by the federal government in the late 1960s. Then, it discusses in some detail some of the more current issues that observers suggest must be addressed if changes are to be made. The final sections discuss recent efforts to propose alternates to the current official approach.
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economist,
statistical,
earnings,
recession,
expenditure,
wealth,
salary,
population,
welfare,
socioeconomic,
poverty
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Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Social Security Administration,
Center for Economic Studies,
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University of Maryland,
Current Population Survey,
Department of Agriculture,
Survey of Income and Program Participation,
Council of Economic Advisers,
American Community Survey,
Earned Income Tax Credit,
National Academy of Sciences,
Social and Economic Supplement
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