Book: Poverty, by America
Author: Matthew Desmond
Core Themes: Analyzing poverty in America, how it came to be, who is responsible, and how we can tackle it.
Takeaways: Dr. Desmond, a sociology professor at Princeton University, not only breaks down this topic intellectually, but also goes into immense detail about the core issues of poverty. When I first saw the cover of this book, I knew I had found a work that answers the questions I have always had: Where does poverty come from, and who is enabling it? Desmond starts off by addressing the current issue of poverty, using examples from his personal experience as well as stories from others in that position. This made me appreciate Desmond even more, as he goes into detail about the impact poverty has on an individual—not simply deteriorating their financial situation, but destroying one's emotional and physical health and causing implications that span generations. Next, Desmond details why the poor are poor through three fantastically written chapters: how we take from the poor, how we make them pay more, and the welfare state. The latter especially caught my eye. Desmond then closes his book by discussing how to empower the poor and end poverty.
From my reading, two things primarily stood out as reasons for poverty in America, among a host of other factors. One of the key highlights from Desmond’s work was how middle- and upper-class families benefit more from the government than the poorest among us. Statistically, the money given to more affluent families through tax breaks and other forms of government intervention significantly outweighs the amount of government aid given to the poor. This viewpoint was one I had never been exposed to previously, and it pushed me to analyze the consequences of government policy.
Secondly—a topic we are all familiar with—is the lack of taxes paid by the richest in the country relative to what they should owe. The amount of tax avoidance committed by this class could reverse the rate at which poverty is increasing. Other key points to mention include: government stimulus packages and interventions help reduce poverty rather than incentivize unemployment (aid given during COVID-19 is a great example); ending poverty requires ending segregation (the two are deeply connected, and one cannot be done without the other); and increasing diversity, whether financial or racial, helps decrease poverty without directly increasing crime
Who Should Read: The feeling I had while reading Desmond’s work was one of anger, as the protective shield was lifted from exploitation. Corporate greed is evident every time I leave my home and see a company whose owner has billions struggle to pay its workers, who are unable to put food on the table for their families. Those who should read Poverty, by America are people angered by the system of poverty, angered by the current status quo, and angered that nothing is being done. This book is a fantastic starting point to better understand poverty, and it will hopefully motivate readers to create change.
Citation: Desmond, M. (2023). Poverty, by America. Crown.