The Poverty Paradox

Description

The paradox of poverty amidst plenty - namely, that the wealthiest country in the world also has the highest rates of poverty among the industrialized nations - has plagued the United States throughout the 21st century. In The Poverty Paradox, Mark Rank, one of the nation's leading authorities on the subject, offers a unique analysis to arrive at a compelling answer and from there he suggests potential policy solutions.

• Reframes a central question from "who loses the economic game" to "why does the game produce losers at all"
• Argues that poverty is a structural, not an individual, problem and addressing it therefore requires systemic changes
• Utilizes the most up-to-date social science research and tools support the author's argument

About the Author(s)

Mark Robert Rank, Herbert S. Hadley Professor of Social Welfare in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis

Mark Robert Rank is currently the Herbert S. Hadley Professor of Social Welfare in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. He is widely recognized as one of the foremost experts on issues of poverty, inequality, and social justice. He has been the recipient of many awards, and his research has been reported in a wide range of media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and National Public Radio.

Table of Contents

Part I: Overview
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Defining, Measuring, and Counting
Chapter 3: The Traditional Perspective
Part II: The Structural Vulnerability Framework
Chapter 4: Economic Vulnerability and the Role of Human Capital
Chapter 5: Cumulative Inequality
Chapter 6: Two Levels of Understanding
Part III: The Broader Context
Chapter 7: Building the Foundation
Chapter 8: Policy Implications
Chapter 9: Looking Back, Looking Ahead
Notes

Reviews

"Mark Robert Rank's ambitious book, The Poverty Paradox, is said to be "a game changing examination of poverty and inequality. It provides the essential blueprint for finally combatting this economic injustice in the years ahead"." - Craig R. Roach, New York Journal of Books

"Mark Rank, one of America's great poverty scholars, has done it again. In crystal clear prose, The Poverty Paradox walks readers through what we know about poverty in the United States, forwards a framework to understand why it persists, and offers evidence-strategies for how we can confront it. It will offer fresh insights to new students, long-time experts, and policymakers alike." - H. Luke Shaefer, Hermann and Amalie Kohn Professor of Social Justice and Social Policy at the Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan