Poverty, by America Matthew Desmond

In Poverty, by America, social scientist Matthew Desmond writes that the United States, despite its vast wealth and prosperity, suffers from poverty and inequality unseen anywhere else in the developed world.

He says poverty in America persists because it benefits many Americans to keep a share of their fellow Americans in a state of want—and he issues a call to arms to readers to examine their role in benefiting from and perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

In this guide, we’ll explore Desmond's key points, including:

• The experience of poverty in America and its devastating social consequences
• The false explanations for why people are poor—and stay poor
• How non-poor Americans benefit from the poverty of their fellow Americans
• The choices we can make—both at a policy and individual level—to empower the poor and eradicate poverty

We’ll supplement Desmond’s findings with arguments from other poverty scholars, journalists, and economists—both to provide additional support and context for Desmond’s ideas, and to challenge his conclusions.