The Poverty Measure: Research

In this section, Spotlight has compiled key research that examines how and whether the federal government should update the poverty measure. The resources below explore the state of the current measure, as well as alternative approaches to measuring poverty. This section also includes comparative studies that evaluate the current U.S. method with that of other industrialized nations.


THE CURRENT MEASURE

  • Five Decades of Consumption and Income Poverty (pdf)
    • Bruce D. Meyer and James X. Sullivan, The Harris School of Public Policy Studies, The University of Chicago, August 2009

  • It’s Time for a Better Poverty Measure
    • Mark Greenberg, Center for American Progress, August 2009

  • History of the Poverty Measure -- Assorted Resources
    • Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division, U.S. Census Bureau, August 2008

  • Measuring Poverty in the United States (pdf)
    • Nancy K. Cauthen and Sarah Fass, National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, June 2008

  • How Poor are America’s Poor? Examining the "Plague" of Poverty in America
    • Robert Rector, Heritage Foundation, August 2007

  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Related to Poverty Guidelines and Poverty
    • Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, HHS, February 2007

  • The Mismeasure of Poverty
    • Nicholas Eberstadt, American Enterprise Institute, August 2006

  • Measuring Poverty in the United States: History and Current Issues
    • Daniel Weinberg, U.S. Census Bureau, April 2006

  • Poor Measurement: New Census Report on Measuring Poverty Raises Concerns
    • Jared Bernstein and Arloc Sherman, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, March 2006

  • The Measure of Poverty (An Interagency Review)
    • Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, U.S. Census Bureau, 1976

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    ALTERNATIVES TO THE CURRENT MEASURE

  • A Modern Framework for Measuring Poverty and Basic Economic Security
    • Shawn Fremstad, Center for Economic and Policy Research, May 2010

  • Low-Income Household Spending Patterns and Measures of Poverty (pdf)
    • Laura Castner and James Mabli, United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, April 2010

  • Measuring Poverty at the State Level
    • Sheila R. Zedlewski, Linda Giannarelli, Laura Wheaton and Joyce Morton, Urban Institute, April 2010

  • What Gets Measured Gets Done: How a Supplemental Federal Poverty Measure Will Drive Smarter Policy (pdf)
    • Melissa Boteach and Jitinder Kohli, Center for American Progress, March 2010

  • The CEO Poverty Measure, 2005--2008 (pdf)
    • Mark Levitan, Christine D'Onofrio, John Krampner, Daniel Scheer and Todd Seidel, New York City Center for Economic Opportunity, March 2010

  • Asset-Based Measurement of Poverty
    • Andrea Brandolini, Silvia Magri and Timothy M. Smeeding, Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin-Madison, November 2009

  • Asset-Based Measurement of Poverty
    • Andrea Brandolini, Silvia Magri and Timothy M. Smeeding, Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin-Madison, November 2009

  • Overlooked and Undercounted 2009: Struggling to make ends meet in California
    • Diana M. Pearce, United Way of the Bay Area, December 2009

  • Measure by Measure: The Current Measure v. the National Academy of Sciences Measure
    • Dorothy Smith, Center for Law and Social Policy, November 2009

  • Implications of a New Poverty Measure for Program Funding Formulas and Benefits Eligibility
    • Mark Greenberg, Center for American Progress, August 2009

  • Improving the Measurement of Poverty
    • Rebecca Blank and Mark Greenberg, The Hamilton Project, Brookings Institution, December 2008

  • Measuring Poverty and Economic Inclusion
    • Shawn Fremstad, Center for Economic and Policy Research, December 2008

  • How to Improve Poverty Measurement in the United States
    • Rebecca M. Blank, University of Michigan and Brookings Institution, November 2007

  • Assorted Publications from the Workshop on Experimental Poverty Measures
    • National Academy of Sciences, October 2007

  • Alternative Measures of Income Poverty and the Anti-Poverty Effects of Taxes and Transfers
    • Daniel Weinberg, U.S. Census Bureau, June 2005

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    COMPARATIVE STUDIES

  • Poverty in the U.S. and the UK: Relative Measurement and Relative Achievement
    • Rebecca Schalb and Michael Wiseman, George Washington University, December 2008

  • Relative of Absolute Poverty in the USA and EU? The Battle of the Rates (pdf)
    • Geranda Notten and Chris de Neubourg, Maastricht Graduate School of Governance, Maastricht University, May 2007

  • Measuring Child Poverty (pdf)
    • United Kingdom Department for Work and Pensions, December 2003

  • Is There Such a Thing as an Absolute Poverty Line Over Time? Evidence from the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia on the Income Elasticity of the Poverty Line
    • Gordon M. Fisher, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, August 1995

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