How is Poverty Measured?

When we ask who is poor in the United States, the answer depends on how we measure poverty. This video explains two measures of poverty used by the U.S. Census Bureau and how the differences between the measures matter.

[@lisas3825]

Also, the meal plans were based upon meals of peanut butter, 3 meals a day. This was an emergency diet, and not a sustainable one. Thereby, the poverty line is fundamentally flawed. Many Americans are struggling to pay rent, utilities and transportation expenses. If the poverty threshold is corrected to reflect the actual cost of living, wages & support would increase for many everyday Americans. Including support for small businesses, average households & college tuitions.

[@AdeyBlox]

why is there no comments..

[@pallabgolui1304]

Thanks...

[@joejostar277]

wow nice video

[@SiriusXAim]

What you have missed is that the data she used was the lowest possible one, defined by the USDA in 1961 as "temporary or emergency use when funds are low.” It isn't a no thrills food plan. It's a survival diet not meant to be sustainable long term.

[@IRP_UW]

That's true -- Orshansky created measures based on two food plans. Her preference was for the higher/more generous of the two plans to form the basis of the poverty measure, but such a measure would have defined roughly a third of the country as being in poverty. Political leadership had some issues with the optics of that, so the survival diet version of the measure was adopted.

[@SiriusXAim]

@@IRP_UW Didn't know about the political pressure part. Tough this perfectly shows how this statistic is completely inadequate in measuring poverty. It's also completely outdated, and the only economic variable still not updated since that time.

[@BK-mr4ls]

Though Ms. Orshansky and President Johnson were well intentioned in trying to quickly develop a metric to define the poverty line, it was overly simplistic. Now, 60+ years later, it is not at all representative of modern family expenses. Lawmakers, aware of this but too chicken shit to reform it out concern of what it would do to their political careers have kicked this can of government issued beans down the road.

[@fouraztecas6342]

How much u have in your bank?...if its over 1k before every pay day...thats the ugly truth