There are striking differences between relative and absolute poverty rates in the European Union and the United States. In this paper, we apply the official poverty measurement methods of the United States (absolute) and the European Union (relative) to both regions. Official poverty rates differ from other poverty statistics in the sense that they are more often used as a benchmark by policymaking and advocacy groups. In our analysis we use within and between country perspectives to explain differences in poverty levels and trends and show the impact of each of these aspects on poverty levels and over time while keeping other explanatory factors constant. Using annual data of the EU and the US from 1994 to 2000 we illustrate how some poverty differences are inherent to choosing either an absolute or a relative approach to poverty while other differences are related to more general aspects of poverty measurement. The results of our analysis suggest that governments should use both; an absolute approach that helps to identify those people who are not able to attain a minimum living standard and a relative approach to identify those whose living standard is low compared to the society they live in.

The poverty rate is one of the most visible ways in which nations measure the economic well-being of their low-income citizens. To gauge whether a person is poor, European states often focus on a person's relative position in the income distribution to measure poverty while the United States looks at a fixed-income threshold that represents a lower relative standing in the overall distribution to gauge. In Europe, low income is perceived as only one aspect of being socially excluded, so that examining other relative dimensions of family and individual welfare is important. This broad emphasis on relative measures of well-being that extend into non-pecuniary aspects of people's lives does not always imply that more people would ultimately be counted as poor. This is particularly true if one must be considered poor in multiple dimensions to be considered poor, in sharp contrast to the American emphasis on income as the sole dimension. With contributions from the world's foremost authorities on income and social measurement, the book provides detailed discussions of specific issues from a European perspective followed by commentary from American observers. The volume considers (1) current standards of poverty measurement in the European Union and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, (2) challenges in extending those measures to account for the value of the provision of in-kind and cash benefits from the government, (3) the interaction of poverty measures with social assistance, (4) non-income but monetary measures of poverty, and (5) multi-dimensional measures of poverty. The result is a definitive reference for poverty researchers and policymakers seeking to disengage politics from measurement.

Poverty may have always been with us, but it hasn't always been the same. In an in-depth look at trends, patterns, and causes of poverty in the United States, John Iceland combines the latest statistical information, historical data, and social scientific theory to provide a comprehensive picture of poverty in America—a picture that shows how poverty is measured and understood and how this has changed over time, as well as how public policies have grappled with poverty as a political issue and an economic reality. Why does poverty remain so pervasive? Is it unavoidable? Are people from particular racial or ethnic backgrounds or family types inevitably more likely to be poor? What can we expect over the next few years? What are the limits of policy? These are just a few of the questions this book addresses. In a remarkably concise, readable, and accessible format, Iceland explores what the statistics and the historical record, along with most of the major works on poverty, tell us. At the same time, he advances arguments about the relative nature and structural causes of poverty—arguments that eloquently contest conventional wisdom about the links between individual failure, family breakdown, and poverty in America. At a time when the personal, political, social, and broader economic consequences of poverty are ever clearer and more pressing, the depth and breadth of understanding offered by this handbook should make it an essential resource and reference for all scholars, politicians, policymakers, and people of conscience in America.

With contributions from the world's foremost authorities on social measurement, this volume promises to be the definitive reference for poverty researchers and policymakers seeking to disengage politics from measurement.

This book provides a comprehensive portrait of the experience of poverty among Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants in the US. Given that these two groups experience some of the highest rates of poverty of any ethnicity and that it persists even while a majority work and reside in dual parent households, it becomes imperative that we explore a multitude of related factors. This book offers a systematic empirical analysis of these groups in relation to other ethnic groups, explores the individual and contextual factors associated with the determination of poverty via the use of logistic and multi-level models, details the historical context associated with Mexican immigrants, and discusses the major policies that have impacted them. It discusses the newest destinations of Mexican immigrants and also provides a discussion of undocumented migrants. Further, it details the current measure of poverty in the United States and offers a number of alternatives for modeling and measuring it.

Perceptions of Africa have changed dramatically. Viewed as a continent of wars, famines and entrenched poverty in the late 1990s, there is now a focus on “Africa rising†? and an “African 21st century.†? Two decades of unprecedented economic growth in Africa should have brought substantial improvements in well-being. Whether or not they did, remains unclear given the poor quality of the data, the nature of the growth process (especially the role of natural resources), conflicts that affect part of the region, and high population growth. Poverty in a Rising Africa documents the data challenges and systematically reviews the evidence on poverty from monetary and nonmonetary perspectives, as well as a focus on dimensions of inequality. Chapter 1 maps out the availability and quality of the data needed to track monetary poverty, reflects on the governance and political processes that underpin the current situation with respect to data production, and describes some approaches to addressing the data gaps. Chapter 2 evaluates the robustness of the estimates of poverty in Africa. It concludes that poverty reduction in Africa may be slightly greater than traditional estimates suggest, although even the most optimistic estimates of poverty reduction imply that more people lived in poverty in 2012 than in 1990. A broad-stroke profile of poverty and trends in poverty in the region is presented. Chapter 3 broadens the view of poverty by considering nonmonetary dimensions of well-being, such as education, health, and freedom, using Sen's (1985) capabilities and functioning approach. While progress has been made in a number of these areas, levels remain stubbornly low. Chapter 4 reviews the evidence on inequality in Africa. It looks not only at patterns of monetary inequality in Africa but also other dimensions, including inequality of opportunity, intergenerational mobility in occupation and education, and extreme wealth in Africa.