Household Economy
Title
Household Economy
Author
Lein, Laura
Tillotson, Amanda
Research Area
Social Institutions
Topic
Marriage and the Family
Abstract
Debates about poverty—the nature of poverty, the measurement of poverty, and appropriate responses to poverty—are at the core of a great deal of research, policy debate, and political discussion. Since the 1950s the prevalence of poverty in the United States has been measured against a national poverty income line that is recalculated every year. A great deal of poverty research concentrates on income levels: how these are assessed, and their implications for family and individual well‐being. Furthermore, access to a number of poverty programs is based on the poverty line or a related measure of income.