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
2014-11-24
67
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://kaotiyun.com/show/d5K4777K
0
考研英语一
相关试题推荐
Moneyisakeyelementineconomicandbusinessactivitiesandhasbeenthethemeofmanywittyremarks.BenjaminFranklinonce
PsychologistAlfredAdlersuggestedthattheprimarygoalofthepsyche(精神)wassuperiority.Although【C1】______hebelievedthat
PsychologistAlfredAdlersuggestedthattheprimarygoalofthepsyche(精神)wassuperiority.Although【C1】______hebelievedthat
Musiccomesinmanyforms;mostcountrieshaveastyleoftheirown.【C1】______theturnofthecenturywhenjazz(爵士乐)wasborn,
Teachersneedtobeawareoftheemotional,intellectual,andphysicalchangesthatyoungadultsexperience.Andtheyalsoneed
AlthoughtherearemanyskillfulBraillereaders,thousandsofotherblindpeoplefinditdifficulttolearnthatsystem.Theya
AlthoughtherearemanyskillfulBraillereaders,thousandsofotherblindpeoplefinditdifficulttolearnthatsystem.Theya
AlthoughtherearemanyskillfulBraillereaders,thousandsofotherblindpeoplefinditdifficulttolearnthatsystem.Theya
TheGovernmentsAggressiveDealingswithU.S.AutomakersIntheory,agovernmentbailoutshouldprovideashort-terminfusi
Inthefollowingtext,somesentenceshavebeenremoved.ForQuestions41-45,choosethemostsuitableonefromthelistA-Gto
随机试题
___________是指政府设立的负责本级财政性资金的集中采购和招标组织工作的专门机构。
下列各项中,属于公司发放股票股利优点的有()
1/4
下列关于小儿五软的叙述,错误的是( )。
涵洞施工宜在枯水季节进行,施工前须在施工范围两端河道或泄道上筑坝阻水,坝顶比施工期间可能出现的最高水位至少要高出()m,以防淹没。
下列措施项目中,应按分部分项工程量清单编制方式编制的有()。【2014年真题】
影响利率水平的因素主要有()。
下列关于市净率的说法中,不正确的是()。
长江的季节性洪水是自然规律,无法扭转。但是人们在开发自然的过程中,乱砍滥伐破坏上游植被,在下游大量侵占天然湖泊等可供分洪蓄洪的水体,这些盲目的开发行为使得长江抗洪越发困难。除了对自然的欠账外,水利工程的一些历史欠账在今年全部暴露出来了。长江中下游中小型防洪
______tellsusthatthegovernmentwillgivesupporttoemployers,whoofferpart-timejobs?______statesthatjob-sharingcan
最新回复
(
0
)