Despite its enormous wealth, the United States leads the industrialized world in poverty. One Nation, Underprivileged unravels this disturbing paradox by offering a unique and radically different understanding of American poverty. It debunks many of our most common myths about the poor, while at the same time provides a powerful new framework for addressing this enormous social and economic problem.
Mark Robert Rank vividly shows that the fundamental causes of poverty are to be found in our economic structure and political policy failures, rather than individual shortcomings or attitudes. He establishes for the first time that a significant percentage of Americans will experience poverty during their adult lifetimes, and firmly demonstrates that poverty is an issue of vital national concern.
Ultimately, Rank provides us with a new paradigm for understanding poverty, and outlines an innovative set of strategies that will reduce American poverty. One Nation, Underprivileged represents a profound starting point for rekindling a national focus upon America's most vexing social and economic problem.

What if the idealized image of American society-a land of opportunity that will reward hard work with economic success-is completely wrong? Few topics have as many myths, stereotypes, and misperceptions surrounding them as that of poverty in America. The poor have been badly misunderstood since the beginnings of the country, with the rhetoric only ratcheting up in recent times. Our current era of fake news, alternative facts, and media partisanship has led to a breeding ground for all types of myths and misinformation to gain traction and legitimacy. Poorly Understood is the first book to systematically address and confront many of the most widespread myths pertaining to poverty. Mark Robert Rank, Lawrence M. Eppard, and Heather E. Bullock powerfully demonstrate that the realities of poverty are much different than the myths; indeed in many ways they are more disturbing. The idealized image of American society is one of abundant opportunities, with hard work being rewarded by economic prosperity. But what if this picture is wrong? What if poverty is an experience that touches the majority of Americans? What if hard work does not necessarily lead to economic well-being? What if the reasons for poverty are largely beyond the control of individuals? And if all of the evidence necessary to disprove these myths has been readily available for years, why do they remain so stubbornly pervasive? These are much more disturbing realities to consider because they call into question the very core of America's identity. Armed with the latest research, Poorly Understood not only challenges the myths of poverty and inequality, but it explains why these myths continue to exist, providing an innovative blueprint for how the nation can move forward to effectively alleviate American poverty.

Rugged Individualism and the Misunderstanding of American Inequality explores and critiques the widespread perception in the United States that one's success or failure in life is largely the result of personal choices and individual characteristics. As the authors show, the distinctively individualist ideology of American politics and culture shapes attitudes toward poverty and economic inequality in profound ways, fostering social policies that de-emphasize structural remedies. Drawing on a variety of unique methodologies, the book synthesizes data from large-scale surveys of the American population, and it features both conversations with academic experts and interviews with American citizens intimately familiar with the consequences of economic disadvantage. This mixture of approaches gives readers a fuller understanding of "skeptical altruism," a concept the authors use to describe the American public's hesitancy to adopt a more robust and structurally-oriented approach to solving the persistent problem of economic disadvantage.

The American Dream lies at the heart and soul of the country. In Chasing the American Dream, Mark Robert Rank, Thomas A. Hirschl, and Kirk A. Foster provide a new and innovative look into the well being of the dream in today's society. They combine for the first time interviews with dozens of Americans, along with a longitudinal study covering 40 years of income dynamics for the national population. By weaving these approaches together, they create a vibrant tapestry upon which to tell the story of the American Dream. Their findings reveal a number of surprises. For most Americans, the meaning of the American Dream lies not in wealth and riches, but rather in economic security, pursuing one's passions, and looking forward toward the future. Yet nearly 80 percent of the population will experience significant economic insecurity at some point between the ages of 25 and 60. In addition, the authors show that the risk of economic vulnerability has been increasing substantially over the past four decades. Yet in spite of these trends, Americans remain upbeat about achieving the American Dream at some point during their lifetimes, although many will struggle to do so. The authors provide an innovative approach for thinking about and increasing the accessibility of the American Dream in the future. Chasing the American Dream provides readers with a new understanding into the dynamics that shape our fortunes, and a deeper insight into the centrality and importance of the American Dream for the future of the country.

In Rugged Individualism and the Misunderstanding of American Inequality, the authors argue that the stronger individualism and weaker structuralism found in the U.S. compared to much of Europe ensures that American politicians do not face the same degree of pressure that European politicians do to develop and/or maintain robust and structurally-oriented social policies. Combined with racism and features of the American political system, this works to limit the generosity and effectiveness of anti-poverty and inequality-reduction efforts in the U.S. This helps explain why the U.S. compares so poorly to other wealthy countries on measures of overall poverty, childhood poverty, economic inequality, and social mobility.

The paradox of poverty amidst plenty has plagued the United States throughout the 21st century - why should the wealthiest country in the world also have the highest rates of poverty among the industrialized nations? Based on his decades-long research and scholarship, one of the nation's leading authorities provides the answer. In The Poverty Paradox, Mark Robert Rank develops his unique perspective for understanding this puzzle. The approach is what he has defined over the years as structural vulnerability. Central to this new way of thinking is the distinction between those who lose out at the economic game versus why the game produces losers in the first place. Americans experiencing poverty tend to have certain characteristics placing them at a greater risk of impoverishment. Yet poverty results not from these factors, but rather from a lack of sufficient opportunities in society. In particular, the shortage of decent paying jobs and a strong safety net are paramount. Based upon this understanding, Rank goes on to detail a variety of strategies and programs to effectively alleviate poverty in the future. Implementing these policies has the added benefit of reinforcing several of the nation's most important values and principles. The Poverty Paradox represents a game changing examination of poverty and inequality. It provides the essential blueprint for finally combatting this economic injustice in the years ahead.

Exploring the lives of a wide range of individuals and families, 'Living on the Edge' depicts a side of the welfare experience rarely seen and dispels the myth that only the urban underclass--the center of most policy debate--struggles on welfare. Rank's juxtaposition of numbers and faces alerts us to the fact that welfare recipients share much in common with the rest of the population. His frank analysis allows us to see beyond the common biases to the fundamental constraints and forces in our society that push so many people to life on the edge.

Despite its enormous wealth, the United States leads the industrialized world in poverty. One Nation, Underprivileged unravels this disturbing paradox by offering a unique and radically different understanding of American poverty. It debunks many of our most common myths about the poor, while at the same time provides a powerful new framework for addressing this enormous social and economic problem.
Mark Robert Rank vividly shows that the fundamental causes of poverty are to be found in our economic structure and political policy failures, rather than individual shortcomings or attitudes. He establishes for the first time that a significant percentage of Americans will experience poverty during their adult lifetimes, and firmly demonstrates that poverty is an issue of vital national concern.
Ultimately, Rank provides us with a new paradigm for understanding poverty, and outlines an innovative set of strategies that will reduce American poverty. One Nation, Underprivileged represents a profound starting point for rekindling a national focus upon America's most vexing social and economic problem.

Historically, social workers have confronted and alleviated many of society's most far-reaching and seemingly intractable challenges. As we move further into the 21st century, however, the field faces a renewed call to action as critical problems become more deeply and widely engrained in the world's social fabric. Enlisting the insights of leading social work scholars, Toward a Livable Life grapples with 13 key areas in an effort to identify innovative solutions toward achieving a "livable life"-that is, a life in which individuals are able to thrive and develop in order to reach their full potential and capacity. To this end, the volume paves the way for the effort that lies ahead for social work researchers, practitioners, teachers, and students.

In this compelling look at the lives of welfare recipients, Mark Robert Rank shatters many of the myths commonly associated with the system and its participants. Living on the Edge considers three questions: Why do people turn to welfare? What is it like to survive on these programs? And what can we as a society do to address this critical issue? Based on ten years of research, the book follows individuals and families as they apply for and live on public aid and eventually leave the system. Rank's chronicle of their day-to-day experiences reveals the many sacrifices and crises that tax ordinary people in extraordinary ways. Beginning with a history of welfare from Roosevelt to Clinton, he focuses on AFDC and the Food Stamp program. He then describes the backgrounds of the recipients, their hopes for the future and attitudes toward welfare, their daily routines and problems, their work behavior, and the effect of welfare on family dynamics. Living on the Edge reveals the experiences of female-headed families, married couples, single men and women, and the elderly. Interviews, extensive data, and Rank's firsthand observations of the welfare system puncture the stereotypes of assumed laziness and apathy. By concentrating on a wide range of individuals and families, Rank depicts a side of the welfare experience rarely seen and dispels the myth that only the urban underclass - the center of most policy debate - struggles on welfare. Rank's juxtaposition of numbers and faces alerts us to the fact that welfare recipients have much in common with the rest of us. His frank analysis allows us to see beyond the common biases to the fundamental constraints and forces in our society that push somany people to life on the edge.