Waging War on Poverty: Historical Trends in Poverty Using the Supplemental Poverty Measure

Fox, Liana; Garfinkel, Irwin; Kaushal, Neeraj; Wimer, Christopher

doi:10.3386/w19789

Cited by 44 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…8 The SPM takes into account a fuller set of resources, including near-cash and in-kind benefits, as well as tax credits. Following the Census Bureau methodology, detailed in Fox et al (2013), family income is adjusted for near-cash and in-kind resources. Specifically, we use the March CPS data on SNAP benefits, value of School Lunch Program, low-income home energy assistance, and tax credits to adjust family income to include these benefits.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Not surprisingly, alternative measures of poverty, including the supplemental measure, result in different poverty rates for different subgroups of the population—some notably higher than others. For example, when the supplemental measure is used, poverty tends to be higher overall and higher among the elderly (aged 65 and older) and adult (aged 18–64) populations but lower among children, or those under 18 (Hutto et al 2011; Short 2013; Fox et al 2013). …”

Section: Food Insecurity and Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding the link between poverty and food insecurity among children: Does the definition of poverty matter?

Wight

Kaushal

Waldfogel

et al. 2014

Journal of Children and Poverty

Self Cite

115

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This paper examines the association between poverty and food insecurity among children, using two different definitions of poverty—the official poverty measure (OPM) and the new supplemental poverty measure (SPM) of the Census Bureau, which is based on a more inclusive definition of family resources and needs. Our analysis is based on data from the 2001–11 Current Population Survey and shows that food insecurity and very low food security among children decline as income-to-needs ratio increases. The point estimates show that the associations are stronger as measured by the new supplemental measure of income-to-needs ratio than when estimated through the official measure. Statistical tests reject the hypothesis that poor households’ odds of experiencing low food security are the same whether the SPM or OPM measure is used; but the tests do not reject the hypothesis when very low food security is the outcome.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Food Insecurity and Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the link between poverty and food insecurity among children: Does the definition of poverty matter?

Wight

Kaushal

Waldfogel

et al. 2014

Journal of Children and Poverty

Self Cite

115

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…By the mid‐1970s, substantial progress against poverty was made and poverty rates of under 10 percent were seen for the first time, especially after counting noncash benefits as part of income (Council of Economic Advisors, ; Fox et al., ; Smeeding, ). The labor market continued to spread the benefits of economic growth to all workers, and longtime leaders of the War on Poverty, like Robert Lampman, foresaw an end to poverty and material deprivation within a decade…”

Section: The Evolution Of Poverty Policy Over 50 Yearsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Source : SPM data from Fox et al. (); official poverty measure data from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.…”

Section: The Evolution Of Poverty Policy Over 50 Yearsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The War on Poverty: Measurement, Trends, and Policy

Haveman¹,

Blank²,

Moffitt³

et al. 2015

J Policy Anal Manage

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We present a 50‐year historical perspective of the nation's antipoverty efforts, describing the evolution of policy during four key periods since 1965. Over this half‐century, the initial heavy reliance on cash income support to poor families has eroded; increases in public support came largely in the form of in‐kind (e.g., Food Stamps) and tax‐related (e.g., the Earned Income Tax Credit) benefits. Work support and the supplementation of earnings substituted for direct support. These shifts eroded the safety net for the most disadvantaged in American society. Three poverty‐related analytical developments are also described. The rise of the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM)—taking account of noncash and tax‐related benefits—has corrected some of the serious weaknesses of the official poverty measure (OPM). The SPM measure indicates that the poverty rate has declined over time, rather than being essentially flat as the OPM implies. We also present snapshots of the composition of the poor population in the United States using both the OPM and the SPM, showing progress in reducing poverty overall and among specific socioeconomic subgroups since the beginning of the War on Poverty. Finally, we document the expenditure levels of numerous antipoverty programs that have accompanied the several phases of poverty policy and describe the effect of these efforts on the level of poverty. Although the effectiveness of government antipoverty transfers is debated, our findings indicate that the growth of antipoverty policies has reduced the overall level of poverty, with substantial reductions among the elderly, disabled, and blacks. However, the poverty rates for children, especially those living in single‐parent families, and families headed by a low‐skill, low‐education person, have increased. Rates of deep poverty (families living with less than one‐half of the poverty line) for the nonelderly population have not decreased, reflecting both the increasing labor market difficulties faced by the low‐skill population and the tilt of means‐tested benefits away from the poorest of the poor.

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“…Despite substantial progress during the past 50 years in the fight against poverty (Fox, Wimer, Garfinkel, Kaushal, & Waldfogel, ; Wimer, Fox, Garfinkel, Kaushal, & Waldfogel, ), poverty rates in the United States remain troublingly high (DeNavas‐Walt & Proctor, ; Short, ), especially among families with children. Many families experience material hardship or an inability to meet basic or essential needs such as purchasing food or housing (Nelson, ; Short, ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Giving Unto Others: Private Financial Transfers and Hardship Among Families With Children

Pilkauskas

Campbell

Wimer

2017

J of Marriage and Family

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Prior research shows that financial assistance from family and friends is an important source of support for families with children. However, research on financial transfers has largely focused on the recipients of transfers. In this study, using longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n~16,000 person-waves), we examine the association between the provision of financial assistance to family and friends and material hardship. Results from pooled regression and fixed effects models indicate that providing financial transfers is associated with an increased risk of hardship. The most economically disadvantaged groups, single mothers, those in the bottom income tertile, and black mothers, are the most likely to experience hardship after giving a transfer. These findings have important implications for understanding why families may have difficulty meeting basic and essential needs, and how social networks may exacerbate the challenges of escaping poverty and establishing economic self-sufficiency.

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Waging War on Poverty: Historical Trends in Poverty Using the Supplemental Poverty Measure

Cited by 44 publications

References 29 publications

Understanding the link between poverty and food insecurity among children: Does the definition of poverty matter?

Understanding the link between poverty and food insecurity among children: Does the definition of poverty matter?

The War on Poverty: Measurement, Trends, and Policy

Giving Unto Others: Private Financial Transfers and Hardship Among Families With Children

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