首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
考研
Who’s poor in America? That’s a question hard to answer. Hard because there’s no conclusive definition of poverty. Low income ma
Who’s poor in America? That’s a question hard to answer. Hard because there’s no conclusive definition of poverty. Low income ma
admin
2016-01-10
38
问题
Who’s poor in America? That’s a question hard to answer. Hard because there’s no conclusive definition of poverty. Low income matters, though how low is unclear. Poverty is also a state of mind that fosters self-defeating behavior—bad work habits, family breakdowns, and addictions. Finally, poverty results from bad luck; accidents, job losses, disability.
Despite poverty’s messiness, we’ve measured progress against it by a single statistic; the federal poverty line. By this measure, we haven’t made much progress. But the apparent lack of progress is misleading for two reasons.
First, it ignores immigration. Many immigrants are poor and low-skilled. They add to the poor. From 1989 to 2007, about three quarters of the increase in the poverty population occurred among Hispanics(西班牙裔美国人)—mostly immigrants and their children. Second, the poor’s material well-being has improved. The official poverty measure obscures this by counting only pre-tax cash income and ignoring other sources of support, including food stamps and housing subsidies. Although many poor live from hand to mouth, they’ve participated in rising living standards. In 2005, 91% had microwaves, 79% air-conditioning, and 48% cell phones.
The existing poverty line could be improved by adding some income sources and subtracting some expenses. Unfortunately, the administration’s proposal for a "supplemental poverty measure" in 2011 goes beyond that. The new poverty number would compound public confusion. It also raises questions about whether the statistic is tailored to favor a political agenda.
The "supplemental measure" ties the poverty threshold to what the poorest third of Americans spend on food, housing, clothing, and utilities. The actual threshold will probably be higher than today’s poverty line. Many Americans would find this curious: people get richer, but "poverty" stays stuck.
What produces this outcome is a different view of poverty. The present concept is an absolute one; the poverty threshold reflects the amount estimated to meet basic needs. By contrast, the new measure embraces a relative notion of poverty: people are automatically poor if they’re a given distance from the top, even if their incomes are increasing.
The new indicator is a "propaganda device" to promote income redistribution by showing that poverty is stubborn or increasing. The Census Bureau has estimated statistics similar to the administration’s proposal. In 2008, the traditional poverty rate was 13.2% ; estimates of the new statistic range up to 17%. The new poverty statistic exceeds the old, and the gap grows larger over time.
As senator Daniel Moynihan said, the administration is defining poverty up. It’s reasonable to debate how much we should aid the poor or reduce economic inequality. But the debate should not be swayed by misleading statistics that few Americans could possibly understand. Government statistics should strive for political neutrality. This one fails.
What does the author want to say by quoting Daniel Moynihan?
选项
A、Economic equality is but an empty dream.
B、Political neutrality can never be achieved.
C、The administration’s statistics are biased.
D、The debate over poverty will get nowhere.
答案
C
解析
引证题。根据题干关键词Daniel Moynihan定位到文章末段。作者在文章末段借Daniel Moynihan的观点指出,政府数据应该具有政治中立性,而新标准中的数据不具有中立性,也就是说,新标准中的政府数据存在偏见。所以,C项为正确答案。
转载请注明原文地址:https://jikaoti.com/ti/ylZ7FFFM
0
考研英语一
相关试题推荐
AroundhalfofallteenagersintheUKareputtingthemselvesatriskoffoodpoisoningbecausetheydon’twashtheirhandsbefo
The"conveyorbelt"forglobalcommerceishowScottDavis,thebossofUPS,describeshiscompany,theworld’sbiggestexpress-
The"conveyorbelt"forglobalcommerceishowScottDavis,thebossofUPS,describeshiscompany,theworld’sbiggestexpress-
Bilingualeducationinschoolshaslongbeenapoliticalhotpotato—itwasbannedinCaliforniabya1998ballotmeasure,which
Bilingualeducationinschoolshaslongbeenapoliticalhotpotato—itwasbannedinCaliforniabya1998ballotmeasure,which
Thecountry’sinadequatementalhealthsystemgetsthemostattentionafterinstancesofmassviolencethatthenationhasseen
Thecountry’sinadequatementalhealthsystemgetsthemostattentionafterinstancesofmassviolencethatthenationhasseen
Thecountry’sinadequatementalhealthsystemgetsthemostattentionafterinstancesofmassviolencethatthenationhasseen
Inthelastfewweeks,ahandfuloftopbusinessschoolshavereportedsingle-digit,andinsomecasesdouble-digit,declinesin
Thecompetitionforspotsinmedicalschoolsmaygetalittlelessfierceoverthenextfewyears,butthecompetitionforpostg
随机试题
スピーチ大会で優勝したため、テレビ局の________を受けることになった。カメラの前で質問に答えて話すのはスピーチより緊張したが、良い経験になった。
设F(x)=,则F'(x)=
A、captainB、certainC、fountainD、mountainB选项B画线字母读[e],其他选项画线字母读[i]。
相关人员在值班,巡查、检测、灭火演练中发现的消防设施存在问题和故障后,下列说法中不正确的是()。
个人以抵押贷款方式向银行贷款购买房屋时,作为个人住房贷款的抵押物首先是()。
改革开放以来,大批的劳动者从内地向东南沿海地区流动,去当地一些新兴的民营企业工作,这些劳动者经常在不同企业间跳槽。有些民营企业为素质和绩效比较好的员工提供脱产培训的机会,但是要求接受培训的员工签订培训协议,协议的主要内容是,员工在受训后必须在企业中工作一定
(2013年)2013年4月19日,甲公司向乙公司签发了一张出票后2个月付款、金额为20万元的商业汇票,该汇票载明丙公司为付款人,丁公司在汇票上签章作了保证,但未记载被保证人名称。乙公司取得汇票后背书转让给戊公司,但未记载背书日期,戊公司于2013年5月1
家庭财产保险适用的对象不包括()。
Thearrivalofthemass-producedcar,justoveracenturyago,causeda(n)(1)_____ofbusinesscreation.Firstcamethemakerso
Whetherthatisagoodsolutiondependson______.
最新回复
(
0
)