Untitled Flashcards Set

Card 1

Q: What is the difference between absolute and relative measures of poverty? Provide examples.
A: Absolute poverty uses a fixed threshold, e.g., the Federal Poverty Line (FPL). Relative poverty compares income to societal norms, such as earning less than 50% of the median income.

Card 2

Q: How is the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) defined and calculated?
A: The FPL is based on the cost of a minimal diet multiplied by three, originally accounting for food as one-third of a household's expenses.

Card 3

Q: What does "200% of the FPL" mean? Why is it important?
A: It refers to earning twice the Federal Poverty Line. This measure is often used to define low-income households that are not officially in poverty but face economic challenges.

Card 4

Q: What are the limitations of the FPL?
A: The FPL fails to consider modern costs like healthcare and childcare or geographic differences in living expenses.

Card 5

Q: How does the FPL compare to New York State minimum wage and Buffalo's cost of living?
A: The FPL often underestimates poverty in high-cost areas like Buffalo and NYC, where basic expenses surpass the poverty threshold.

Card 6

Q: What is wealth, and how does it differ from income?
A: Wealth includes accumulated assets (e.g., property, investments), while income refers to regular earnings. Wealth inequality is significantly greater than income inequality.

Card 7

Q: What is class privilege?
A: Class privilege refers to advantages that individuals enjoy due to their socioeconomic status, such as better access to education, healthcare, and networks.

Card 8

Q: How is wealth and income distributed in the U.S.?
A: The top 1% owns a disproportionate share of wealth, while the majority of Americans hold minimal wealth compared to their income.

Card 9

Q: How many classes are there in U.S. society, and what structures define them?
A: Commonly identified classes include lower, middle, and upper. Class structures are shaped by income, education, and occupation.

Card 10

Q: Who is disproportionately poor in the U.S., and what does "disproportionate" mean?
A: Groups like minorities, non-citizens, and less-educated individuals experience higher poverty rates. "Disproportionate" means these groups are overrepresented among the poor.

Card 11

Q: What is the relationship between education and poverty/inequality?
A: Education can reduce poverty by increasing skills and earnings but also reinforces inequality when access is unequal.

Card 12

Q: What were the main arguments of the film “End of Poverty”?
A: It argued that colonialism and neocolonialism exploit the Global South to enrich the Global North, perpetuating global poverty.

Card 13

Q: What are the individual-level causes of poverty?
A: Factors include lack of education, poor health, and low skills or motivation.

Card 14

Q: What are the structural causes of poverty?
A: Structural causes include economic systems, wage stagnation, segregation, and unequal access to education and resources.

Card 15

Q: What is the relationship between residential segregation and poverty?
A: Segregation isolates minority groups in disadvantaged areas, limiting access to quality education, jobs, and wealth accumulation.

Card 16

Q: What are the key findings of Massey & Denton in "American Apartheid"?
A: They explain how segregation was enforced through redlining, restrictive covenants, and policies, creating lasting racial and economic disparities.

Card 17

Q: What are the consequences of redlining and segregation on wealth?
A: Redlining prevented minority groups from buying homes in desirable areas, limiting wealth accumulation and perpetuating economic inequality.

Card 18

Q: What does the "index of dissimilarity" measure?
A: It measures the degree of segregation between two groups within a geographic area.

Card 19

Q: What are the arguments of the documentary “Inequality for All”?
A: The film discusses how globalization, declining wages, tax policies, and reduced middle-class investment increase income inequality.

Card 20

Q: How does the education system contribute to class achievement gaps?
A: Unequal funding, systemic biases, and disparities in resources widen gaps, while access to quality education can reduce them.