Politics of Poverty in America

This course will examine various measures of poverty, debates about the nature of poverty, perspectives on what causes poverty, the characteristics of poverty in America, how the federal government uses policy to fight poverty, particularly since the War on Poverty began in 1964. The course will discuss recent trends in American poverty, and focus on the political effects of poverty and anti-poverty policy in the United States. This course will examine the relationships between poverty & civic participation, poverty & public opinion, poverty & race, poverty & health, and poverty & education.