In the U.S., people often think poverty and inequality happen because of bad personal choices or a lack of effort. But many scholars argue that these problems are mostly the result of how our political system and economy are set up. As Lawrence Eppard explains, even within capitalism, societies have to decide whether they want a system that creates more equality or one that allows big gaps between rich and poor. This view challenges the common belief that America is a fair “land of opportunity” where success is simply earned through hard work. It creates a false narrative because even through hard work, long hours, and sleepless nights that its simply still not enough I have been a person as many others that has experienced such situations that were just absolutely draining, and it's still not enough. Instead of only asking why certain people fall behind, it’s more important to ask why our system is built in a way that leaves so many behind. I struggle everyday with feeling that I'm not where I should be as an adult and not just a single mother. Mark Rank puts it clearly: the issue isn’t just about who loses the game, but why the game is designed so that some people will always lose. In my own experience as a single mother, I fall into one of the “big four” risks of poverty that scholars identify. But if this risk is so common and so often leads to poverty, what does that really say about our governing systems? Anatole France once pointed out the irony that “the poor man and the rich man are equally free to sleep under the bridge.” In the same way, our society often claims everyone has equal opportunity, yet the structures in place make some people far more vulnerable than others.
This implies that poverty is more a result of societal decisions about how to distribute resources and assistance than it is of personal failings. Imagine the humiliation of a once proud citizen whose clothes smell like the past 3 days of sweat because finding a decent place for shelter has been denied to them. I believe that people shouldn't have to fight for basic human rights like food and shelter .When a typical life circumstance, such as being a single parent, being unemployed, or being a young parent, virtually ensures financial hardship, it exposes weaknesses in the safety nets designed to safeguard families. Because not everyone starts off on an equal basis, it also demonstrates that freedom without genuine opportunity is a myth. In the end, my experience supports the broader argument put forth by academics: governmental decisions, not just personal ones, are the cause of inequality.
Work Cited
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).” U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, 2024, https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap.
Johnson, Lyndon B. “Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union.” The American Presidency Project, 8 Jan. 1964, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/annual-message-the-congress-the-state-the-union.
Food Research & Action Center.” FRAC, https://frac.org/.
Eppard, Lawrence M, Noam Chomsky, Mark R. Rank, and David Brady.“ On Culture, Politics, and Poverty,”
I got my inspiration from an article I read. As relevant as it is it sparked a few thoughts and concerns . This topic seems to become more relevant every day, as many Americans face issues such as job loss, a high cost of living, and exponentially rising health care costs in the years ahead. According to the Food Research & Action Center, there are approximately 342 million people living in the United States, and of that number, roughly 41 million participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), or another state food assistance program (“Food Research & Action Center”)
As a child, my family relied on SNAP benefits and public housing to keep us afloat. During this current government shutdown, it is deeply concerning that many families may have to go without those benefits or face the threat of losing them due to political conflict. It is frightening to witness what our country has come to, where access to basic human needs can be jeopardized by governmental inaction. I hope that in the future, we as Americans continue to boycott, protest, and advocate for our rights and for the protection of those most vulnerable in our society.
Kaylin Minor is a mom of one daughter studying at HCC Education & Schools Associate of Arts in Teaching