McNamara 1

Ian McNamara
Mr. Rogers
Government NO.4
5 October 2016
Bill Research Assignment No.2: International Humanitarian Issues
Preamble: To increase the level of aid to those whom are below the Federal Poverty line.
1. Nearly 54% of all Americans will, at least once in their lifetime, live in and/or near
poverty.
Source: Rank, Mark R. "Poverty in America Is Mainstream."

NYTimes. New York Times, 2

Nov. 2013. Web. 5 Oct. 2016.
2. 19.4 million Americans live in extreme poverty.

Source: "Hunger in America: 2016 United States Hunger and Poverty Facts - World Hunger."
World Hunger. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.
3. The average income for an American , in 2015 was $56,516.
Source: Proctor, Bernadette D., Jessica L. Semega, and Melissa A. Kollar. "Income and Poverty
in the United States: 2015."
US Census Bureau. N.p., 13 Sept. 2016. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.
4. The official poverty rate in 2015 was 13.5 percent, down 1.2 percentage points from
14.8 percent in 2014.
Source: Proctor, Bernadette D., Jessica L. Semega, and Melissa A. Kollar. "Income and Poverty
in the United States: 2015."

US Census Bureau. N.p., 13 Sept. 2016. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.

5. Among racial and ethnic groups, African Americans had the highest poverty rate, 27.4
percent, followed by Hispanics at 26.6 percent and whites at 9.9 percent.
Source: "Poverty."
State of Working America. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.
6. In 2011, 28.0 percent of workers earned poverty-level wages ($11.06 or less an hour).
Source: "Poverty."

State of Working America. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.

7. The further below the official poverty line you fall, the more vulnerable you are. Nearly
half (44.3 percent) of the poor are in deep poverty (living on half or less of the official
poverty line
Source: "Poverty."

State of Working America. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.

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8. Poverty rates are highest for families headed by single women....30.6 percent of
households headed by single women were poor, while 15.7 percent of households headed
by single men and 6.2 percent of married-couple households lived in poverty.
Source: "National
Poverty Center | University of Michigan." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.
9. Nearly one-quarter (22 percent) of U.S. respondents said that once they have covered
their basic living expenses, they have no money left over.
Source: Glasmeier, Amy K., Dr. "Poverty in America: One Nation, Pulling Apart -- Home."

Poverty in America: One Nation, Pulling Apart. N.p., 15 Oct. 2006. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.
10. Incomes are down since 1999, 5.9 percent nationally and in some states more than 10
percent.

Source: Glasmeier, Amy K., Dr. "Poverty in America: One Nation, Pulling Apart -- Home."
Poverty in America: One Nation, Pulling Apart. N.p., 15 Oct. 2006. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.