Poverty

Poverty is described as a state of being extremely poor, and lacking the ability to provide for oneself. This state of destitution has impacted America’s bourgeoisie class as it makes for an inadequate economy as a whole, affecting all of America’s social classes. Our social class has traditionally governed our occupational options, making the opportunities for people living in poverty limited with the odds against them. As most people born into poverty do not achieve a greater social status of wealth, power and prestige, this suggests that income inequality in America is only getting worse. According to the film ‘Inequality for all’ the capitalist class, which makes up less than 1% of America’s population or just over 400 people, have more money than half of the the U.S.’s working to middle class. This suggests social stratification, is a growing problem and this trend of the rich growing richer and the poor growing poorer is being compared to events in history before in such situations as the great depression. In the great depression most of the economy was controlled by a select few, as we see today in the proletariat class. The government provides many public programs to those in poverty, one of which is called Welfare. Welfare was created to assist people who had little to no income in the 1930’s, although the goal is to keep people afloat financially, many americans became very unhappy as people began abusing welfare and making the qualifications work in their favor. People who qualify for welfare receive benefits such as federal food stamps, TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), medicaid, and a supplemental security income. These benefits are mostly presented to single parents (mostly women) with children. These impoverished people have no prestige, lack standard amounts of wealth, and rely on federal and state programs to make it by. Which differs enormously from the capitalist class which excels in all three, and has no need to search for