Exploring the Root Causes of Poverty in the US Beyond Individual Failures

Abstract

Instructor’s Name The United States is perceived as a land of opportunity, and everyone is working hard to fulfill the American dream. It alludes that success hails from working hard, taking responsibility, and upholding one’s morals. Millions of immigrants leave their home countries to fetch success in the land of opportunity. Despite these appraisals, poverty is still evident in the United States. United States citizens cannot afford to eat decent meals daily, lack affordable health care, and lack shelter and live-in streets. Poverty in the US is regarded as an individual failure, and no one has to blame for leaving the plights of the poor unaddressed by neither the government nor society. According to (Thrush 2018), more people live in poverty today in the US more than the severity in 20 years, with over 30 million individuals lacking affordable health care. The American Society does not want to acknowledge that poverty is deeply rooted in the US, spreading cheap allegations of poverty and false stereotypes blaming people for being poor. Poverty is not a personal choice but emanates from structural and social differences. Marginalization and disparity are to blame for poverty in the US. Poverty is not a state of mind. It is the issues perpetuated by a society that are trailing people down. Racism and inequality affect the states of mind of individuals to perform. It prevents the marginalized groups from accessing justice and viable resources with ease. Incarceration is a common factor heard daily in the United States but is concentrated on disadvantaged communities in society. According to (Knox 2020), with mass incarceration, the people of color and Latino groups hail poverty. It contributes to reduced earnings, employment barriers, and a decline in economic security through crime fines and debts. The ex-prisoners find it hard to access opportunities like others since they walk around with an ID proving their criminal record. These people end up in substance abuse, crimes, and the street not due to personal choices but by circumstance. The invisibility of inequality in public institutions is not in the spotlight. Society and government engage in victim-blaming stereotyping poverty with laziness, irresponsibility, and immorality. No one is willing to establish the root cause and research why poverty is hailing from certain communities. Public policies by politicians are attributed to poverty. Politicians are taking poverty as a vague matter instead of fostering policies to create an equal and just society. The politicians make the choice that influences the society and the bottom level. According to (Harding. et al. 2016), certain types of criminal records are barriers to accessing public benefits such as cash assistance such as loans in banks, SNAP, which offers food assistance, and housing assistance. These policies enact limited opportunities and frustrations, and the affected groups cannot provide for the families and save for the future generation. It creates a generational gap from its initial stages, and children will not access opportunities such as education compared to others. Americans define success based on decisions, traits, choices, values, and preferences. This is a false analogy since the environment and relationships with others shape an individual....