Economic Inequality in America: Developing a New War on Poverty Is America still the great land of opportunity - where if you work hard and play by the rules, you can make it? This week is the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson's declaration of a war on poverty. Poverty and inequality have become a rising theme in our national discourse lately, with President Obama's speech last summer decrying the "inequality of opportunity" and Congress's recent embrace of Pope Francis" message about growing economic inequality. In this lesson students will learn about the problems of poverty and economic inequality in America and then will research possible solutions as they propose a new war on poverty for 2014. You may decide to do one or the other, or both: Option 1: Look at this map illustrating the distribution of poverty in the United States. Find your county, city or neighborhood and study both maps - the percentage living below the poverty line and the number living in poverty. You can toggle between maps using the button in the top right corner of map. How does your community compare with communities nearby? How does it compare with the country over all? How does your state compare with other states? Option 2: Watch this video about wealth inequality that went viral on YouTube in 2013. Before students watch the video, it is worth defining the terms "wealth" and "income." Then, you may want to pause at intervals during the video to make sure students understand the points the filmmaker is trying to make. When the video is done, have students turn to a partner to discuss their reactions. Then discuss as a class. What does this video, and the data used in it, say about wealth inequality in America? As part of your discussion, you can point out some critiques of the data in the video and see if that changes students" reactions. For example, this Forbes magazine article argues that the film neglects to take into account the effects of government programs, such as food stamps, Medicaid and free public education, that provide valuable services to millions of Americans. The video is based on this chart created by Mother Jones magazine using data provided by two professors at Harvard and Duke universities. If you or your students want more background information on the video, read this Mother Jones article. Have students read and annotate the article with a pen in hand, looking for evidence about the effectiveness of the war on poverty and possible solutions for addressing today's problem of poverty. To many Americans, the war on poverty declared 50 years ago by President Lyndon B. Johnson has largely failed. Read the entire article with your class. What evidence suggests that the government's war on poverty has been a failure? What evidence suggests the opposite - that the war on poverty has largely been a success? What suggestions did you find in the article for further combating poverty? What economic and sociological trends help explain why so many children and adults remain poor? Why has economic growth generally failed to translate into income gains for workers over the past 30 years, according to the article? A New War on Poverty In fact, according to this article, poverty has become mainstream - to the point that "half of all American children will at some point during their childhood reside in a household that uses food stamps for a period of time." In this activity, students will research and develop a new war on poverty for 2014. What do they think are the best ways to eliminate poverty in the United States? Working in small groups, students will research four possible policy solutions. For example, groups might want to assign one student to learn about a particular policy before reporting back to the rest of the group. When groups have enough information about different policy options, they will draft a policy proposal (or speech) outlining the solutions they think will be most effective in eradicating poverty. At the end of the activity, the class will hear from each group and then vote on the various proposals. Raise the Minimum Wage: With recent strikes by fast-food workers calling for $15-an-hour wages, and Democrats rallying around an increased federal minimum wage, the issue of low wages has made it front and center as a possible target to address in a new war on poverty. Yet some critics contend that raising the minimum wage only forces employers to cut down on overall hiring, thereby eliminating any gains made in the fight against poverty. Students can read the articles linked above about the politics and economic theory behind the minimum-wage fight and then select articles to read from the Room for Debate feature, "Making Low Wages Livable," such as this argument in favor of raising the minimum wage and this one opposing it. Strengthen the Safety Net: President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal during the Great Depression established Social Security as a means to prevent the elderly from living in poverty. President Johnson expanded the safety net with programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start and the Food Stamp Act. Other programs like subsidized housing and unemployment benefits also try to help people from getting stuck in poverty. The United States definitely has a safety net, but some argue it is not strong enough. This map shows how much Americans have come to depend on government benefit programs. As this article points out, even critics of the safety net increasingly depend on it. But as the country makes hard choices about how to rein in government spending and get the economy moving again at full speed, some of these programs, such as food stamps and unemployment benefits, have already been cut. Job Creation: Some say that work, and not government benefit programs, is the best answer to poverty. The unemployment rate has gradually fallen since its peak of 10 percent in 2009, but it still clings to 7 percent - and that number hides the many who have completely given up looking for work. Peter Cove, in this opinion piece in the New York Daily News, argues that we need a "subsidized employment program in the private sector and Works Progress Administration-type effort." Along the same line of thinking, some economists such as Jared Bernstein propose we adopt a full employment policy - the concept that everyone who wants to work should be able to work. If the free market falls short in providing enough jobs, then the government should step in to fill the gap. Education: Education can be the great equalizer, the springboard that propels children born into poverty into the middle class. An important part of President Johnson's war on poverty was the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which tried to equalize educational opportunities for all children. Yet 50 years later America still faces a stubborn achievement gap between rich and poor. As a possible solution, Nicholas D. Kristof argues that focusing on the youngest children will reap the biggest rewards. Others highlight the difficult transition from high school to college, and the immense obstacles that face lower-income students as they make the leap to college. This related graphic shows how much of an advantage affluent students have over poorer students. Perhaps a more equal system of public education funding would help? This article points out the widespread funding formulas that reward wealthier students, while depriving poorer school districts. Going Further How does the United States compare with the rest of the world? Students can read this article, which compares the United States with other developed nations using a number of important economic and social indicators, and study this related graphic. Then students can summarize their findings in a report to the president. How does location affect social mobility? This article by David Leonhardt explores the relationship between where we live and how likely we are to climb the income ladder. Students can read the article as well as find their location on the two maps and then write a response to Mr. Leonhardt. What do they think of his analysis? What other factors might affect social mobility? Standards This resource may be used to address the academic standards listed below. Common Core E.L.A. Anchor Standards Reading 1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. 2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. 6 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. 7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. 8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. 10 Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently. McREL Standards and Resources Civics 2 Understands the essential characteristics of limited and unlimited governments. 21 Understands the formation and implementation of public policy. 26 Understands issues regarding the proper scope and limits of rights and the relationships among personal, political, and economic rights. Economics 6 Understands the roles government plays in the United States economy. United States History 31 Understands economic, social, and cultural developments in the contemporary United States.