A state in which poverty is insufficient to provide the basic necessities of food, shelter, clothing, medical care.
Absolute Poverty
Insufficiency is so severe it's life threatening.
Relative Poverty
Insufficiency is substantially greater than most others in society.
Poverty Level
The minimum income that Americans should have to live on, based on the Department of Agricultural's calculations of the cost of a basic diet called the "economy food plan".
Consumer Price Index
A measure of the average change in prices of all types of consumer goods and services purchased by urban wages earned and clerical workers.
Supplemental Poverty Measure (2011)
Takes into account such measures as regional differences in the cost of living, child care expenses for working parents, and government benefits such as food stamps.
Excludes many people who define themselves, and whom you would define, as poor.
Ghetto
An area in which a certain group is segregated from the rest of society; often used today to refer to the impoverished area of the inner city.
Malnutrition
Inadequate food, in amount or type.
Autonomy
The ability or opportunity to govern oneself.
Subsidy
A government grant to a private person or company to assist an enterprise deemed advantageous to the public.
Corporate Welfare
Governmental benefits given to corporations that are unavailable to other groups or to individuals.
Discrimination
Arbitrary, unfavorable treatment of the members of some social group.
Self-fulfilling Prophecy
A belief that has consequences (and may become true) simply because it is believed.