Measuring Poverty: Issues and Approaches
Measuring Poverty: Issues and Approaches
Abstract
Formal measurement of poverty in the United States is less than three decades old. Not since the adoption of official poverty thresholds by the federal government in the late 1960's has there been such a great interest as now in examining and possibly respecifying the thresholds. This paper first briefly describes the origins and basis of the official thresholds. Then, it discusses in some detail some of the more current issues that must be addressed to bring the thresholds up-to-date. The final section discusses a recent effort to propose a comprehensive alternate approach.
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Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021