In Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” he writes, “it is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and cabin doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for an alms” (19). Here Swift describes the streets of Ireland. In his brief description, the reader can imagine what he sees as he walks down the streets of a town full of homeless people and beggar mothers with their children. Poverty is a continuous issue in numerous countries, with many causes and effects, this hardship sees no end.
In the 1960’s, United States President, Lyndon B. Johnson, declared a “war on poverty.” The War on Poverty was a social welfare legislation that was created with the intention of ending poverty once and for all. This movement gave opportunities for the creation of many different Acts. One act being the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. This Act provided citizens with job training and further education to encourage employment and abolish poverty. The Social Security Act of 1965 was another act that was influenced by the War on Poverty. This Act was the start of medical programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. These programs helped reduce out of pocket medical costs so qualifying citizens could pay little to nothing for the medical attention they receive.
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One of the root causes of poverty is the lack of schooling in citizens. Most people who live in poverty lack basic education. People who do not receive basic levels of education often lose opportunities with jobs that pay wages above the minimum wage. Currently, minimum wage is barely enough to cover todays high cost of living. Minimum wage is supposed to be a “livable wage,” but twelve dollars an hour in California is not exactly enough to support an individual nor their families. According to Bank of America, “the average monthly cost for rented housing is 1,483 dollars, along with 618 dollars for monthly groceries.” They also calculated, “a monthly total for transportation bills is 756 dollars” (Better Money Habits). This includes a car payment, insurance, and gas. That is roughly 2,857 dollars for one month of necessities. With families who have children, the cost gets pushed up by 400 dollars a month of childcare. A parent with a minimum wage job, working 40 hours a week, only receives a monthly income of 1,920 dollars alone. That’s 937 dollars LESS than what it costs to take care of a family for the month.
Poverty develops poor living conditions for citizens and poor health in citizens. Mary Shaw, from University of Bristol Department of Medicine claims, “Millions of people came to be living in overcrowded, high-density, poorly ventilated, damp, unclean housing, with limited access to clean water and a haphazard system of waste and water disposal. (Housing and Public Health). The circumstances of these housing situations become very dangerous to the tenants, resulting into things such as physical illnesses. Friedrich Engels discovered “Diseases that thrived in such conditions included not only the notorious cholera, but also tuberculosis, diarrhea, and whooping cough (though it was perhaps cholera that, above all, captured the public and public health imagination). These unsafe living conditions often can result into serious illnesses for people who reside in these areas. Not to mention, for people living in extreme poverty, having access to quality housing can be nearly impossible. The Urban Institute states, “only 24 percent of the 19 million eligible households receive assistance” (Poethig et al.). Only few people who receive welfare have jobs that pay livable wages. Most still pay less than, leaving many people living below the poverty line.
In conclusion, the causes and effects of poverty have been a continuous issue since before President Lyndon B. Johnson inflicted the War on Poverty. The War on Poverty was a starting point to encourage the end of poverty, and although it has helped, it has not abolished it forever. If citizens were provided with education and were able to achieve a higher level of education, it would be easier for them to get high age jobs. The minimum wage paying jobs today are hardly enough for one to support and provide for their family. Physical health and mental health are also important effects of poverty on the people. The illnesses the face, both medically and mentally, are often caused by the poor living conditions they are stuck in, as well as the little to no government assistance.
Works Cited
- Erika Poethig et al. Urban Institute: Housing assistance matters initiative, https://www.urban.org/features/housing-assistance-matters-initiative
- Shaw, Mary. “Housing and Public Health.” Annuelereviews, 2004, 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.25.101802.123036
- Bank of America. Better Money Habits. Spending: How Do You Stack Up?, https://bettermoneyhabits.bankofamerica.com/en/saving-budgeting/average-household-monthly-expenses
- Swift, Jonathan. “A Modest Proposal.” The Broadview Anthology of Expository Prose, edited by Laura Buzzard et al., Broadview Publishers, Third Edition, pp.19-27.
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