America Is Poorer Than It Thinks
“Critics of the federal poverty guidelines argue that these numbers are too low, thanks to growing inequality — in the 1960s, the federal poverty level was about half of the median income, but is now well below that. Moreover, as a country grows richer, hunger becomes less common, so using it as measure of poverty becomes less useful. When the middle class is defined by having ‘a chicken in every pot and a car in every backyard’ (a campaign slogan from 1928), then simply having a chicken would seem to indicate that you’re not poor. But when your middle-class neighbors have several cars, several televisions and spacious homes, you might feel poor.”