ABSTRACT
The paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty causes many to ask why some people remain poor when so many of their fellow Americans have successfully joined the ranks of the affluent. The standard which the Commission has employed is the widely used poverty index, developed by the Social Security Administration. Clothing school children is a major problem in poor families. Many poor children wear hand-me-down clothes which they receive from relatives, neighbors, and even teachers. Technically, an income at the poverty level should enable families to purchase the bare necessities of life. Limited education does not guarantee a life of poverty, but the income distribution is highly skewed in favor of the more educated. A move across the poverty line—in either direction—can be the consequence of a variety of uncontrollable changes in the household's circumstances. A relative view of poverty will obviously give a very different picture of the poor population.
