In a remarkably concise, readable, and accessible format, John Iceland provides a comprehensive picture of poverty in America, He shows how poverty is measured and understood and how it has changed over time, as well as how public policies have grappled with poverty as a political issue and an economic reality. This edition has been updated and includes a new preface.

List of Figures
List of Tables
Acknowledgements
Preface to the Second Edition

1. Introduction
2. Early Views of Poverty in America
3. Methods of Measuring Poverty
4. Characteristics of the Poverty Population
5. Causes of Poverty
6. Why Poverty Remains High, Revisited
7. Poverty and Policy
8. Conclusion

Appendix: Data and Methods for the Analysis in Chapter 6
Notes
References
Index

John Iceland is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland and former Branch Chief, Poverty and Health Statistics Branch, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division, U. S. Census Bureau.

“The book would serve well as a text for undergraduate courses on poverty...Recommended.”—R.S. Rycroft, Choice: Current Reviews For Academic Libraries

Praise for the first edition:

“Highly readable. Will very likely become a standard reference for students of poverty.”—William Julius Wilson, author of When Work Disappears

“With succinct and engaging prose, Poverty in America covers the gamut —from theoretical issues to measurement to history to public policy—better than any other book out there right now.”—Dalton Conley, author of Honky