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MATERIAL DEPRIVATION, THE ‘POVERTY RATE’ AND HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE IN MODERN AMERICA 1
Author(s) -
Eberstadt Nicholas
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
economic affairs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.24
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 1468-0270
pISSN - 0265-0665
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-0270.2007.00750.x
Subject(s) - poverty , poverty rate , economics , measuring poverty , development economics , measure (data warehouse) , demographic economics , economic growth , database , computer science
The official US ‘poverty rate’ appears to be a problematic descriptor of poverty trends and levels. Reported results from the ‘poverty rate’ do not track well with other indicators that would ordinarily be expected to bear directly on living conditions. Over the past 30 years, the relationship between the official poverty rate and these other indicators has been perversely discordant. This article outlines the basis of the poverty rate and the problems it now encounters as a reliable measure of material deprivation.