Poverty, By America

Reimagining the debate on poverty, making a new and bracing argument about why it persists in America: because the rest of us benefit from it.

The United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why? Why does this land of plenty allow one in every eight of its children to go without basic necessities, permit scores of its citizens to live and die on the streets, and authorize its corporations to pay poverty wages?

In this landmark book, acclaimed sociologist Matthew Desmond draws on history, research, and original reporting to show how affluent Americans knowingly and unknowingly keep poor people poor. Those of us who are financially secure exploit the poor, driving down their wages while forcing them to overpay for housing and access to cash and credit. We prioritize the subsidization of our wealth over the alleviation of poverty, designing a welfare state that gives the most to those who need the least. And we stockpile opportunity in exclusive communities, creating zones of concentrated riches alongside those of concentrated despair. Some lives are made small so that others may grow.

Elegantly written and fiercely argued, this compassionate book gives us new ways of thinking about a morally urgent problem. It also helps us imagine solutions. Desmond builds a startlingly original and ambitious case for ending poverty. He calls on us all to become poverty abolitionists, engaged in a politics of collective belonging to usher in a new age of shared prosperity and, at last, true freedom.

Genre

Nonfiction

Literary Recognition

Goodreads Choice Award - Winner for Best Nonfiction (2023)

My Thoughts

Matthew Desmonds book answers the question Why is there so much poverty in America?

Poverty, by America makes the case for changing how we understand poverty by drawing on research from various fields including policy, economics, and sociology, in addition to Desmond’s own anecdotal experiences. The persuasive power of the book is shared through a combination of logical, evidence-based arguments and strategic doses of empathy that guide us to Desmond’s conclusion about why poverty persists: our own responsibility. 

For those of us who like to address complex questions, Poverty, by America has a lot to teach us as an exercise in asking a broad, controversial question and using evidence and experience to answer it with a simple answer—though one that might feel hard to swallow.  

I found his argument to be persuasive. He uses evidence and anecdotes to navigate the different ways that privileged Americans tend to (mis)understand poverty. As Americans, we should viscerally understand our country’s inequality because we witness both poverty and privilege daily in the world around us. As educated readers, we probably believe we already “get it;” no analysis here will fundamentally change our perspective on this topic. This book has less to do with the persuasive power of certain pieces of evidence and more to do with using that evidence to guide the reader to a place of deeper understanding so that we can ask different and uncomfortable questions.  

There is so much I could say about this book, but I do want to mention that he lets no one off the hook. Poverty is not a conservative or liberal issue. Poor is poor and it doesn't matter what your politics are, this issue affects all of us. Perhaps this is the bottom line: One cannot abolish poverty single-handedly, but in addressing “we,” perhaps Desmond sees changing mindsets as the start. I loved this book as much as one can love a book about the suffering of others and my part in that. I give this book a strong 4.5 stars.