You will prepare and submit a term paper on Reducing American Poverty. Your paper should be a minimum of 1250 words in length.

You will prepare and submit a term paper on Reducing American Poverty. Your paper should be a minimum of 1250 words in length. The poorest 20%, on the other hand, got only 3.4% of the share in national income (Cook, 2007). In America, 37 million people live below the poverty line and have to struggle every day for the basic necessities of life (Center for American Progress, 2007).&nbsp. Poverty is a serious national issue in America which has not been given importance in the past six years.

The poorest 20%, on the other hand, got only 3.4% of the share in national income (Cook, 2007). In America, 37 million people live below the poverty line and have to struggle every day for the basic necessities of life (Center for American Progress, 2007).&nbsp. Poverty is a serious national issue in America which has not been given importance in the past six years. Poverty is defined as a living condition where a person has an inadequate food supply, clothing, accommodation, education and medical facilities (Sarup, 2006). According to the World Bank an American living below the poverty line i.e. $20000 per annum income is considered poor (Iceland, pg. 11, 2003).&nbsp.For the reduction of poverty, it is essential to explore the root causes. Poor government policies, unemployment, improper wages due to improper or lack of education and skills, increase in population and increase in the number of families run by single and young mothers have been identified as some of the root causes of poverty in America (Sarup, 2006).

Before we discuss the ways to reduce American poverty it would be pertinent to take a look at some of the statistics related to the topic.&nbsp.

-American statistics suggest that one in eight American lives below the poverty line. A family of four people is considered poor if their income is below $20,000. The statistics indicate that in 2005, 12.6% of all Americans were declared poor whereas 31% of Americans had income 200% below the poverty limit set by the Federal government (Center for American Progress, 2007).

-Millions of Americans are expected to spend one year in poverty during their life time. Approximately one-third of people will experience poverty in a period of 13 years. During that period approximately one in ten Americans are poor for more than half of the time and one in twenty Americans is poor for more than ten years (Center for American Progress, 2007).&nbsp.