The New Faces of American Poverty: A Reference Guide to the Great Recession [2 volumes]: A Reference Guide to the Great Recession

by Lindsey K. Hanson (Editor), Timothy J. Essenburg (Editor)

Overview

The Great Recession (2007 to 2009) brought the United States—routinely touted as the richest country in the world—to historical levels of poverty. Rising unemployment, government budget crises, and the collapse of the housing market had devastating effects on the poor and middle class. This is one of the first books to focus on the impact of the Great Recession on poverty in America, examining governmental and cultural responses to the economic downturn; the demographics of poverty by gender, age, occupation, education, geographical area, and ethnic identity; and federal and state efforts toward reform and relief. Essays from more than 20 contributing writers explore the history of poverty in America and provide a vision of what lies ahead for the American economy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781610691826
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	01/15/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	935
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

Lindsey K. Hanson is a staff attorney at a nonprofit in Minnesota where she represents low-income tenants in housing cases.

Timothy J. Essenburg, PhD, is professor of economics at Bethel University, Saint Paul, MN.

Editorial Reviews

10/15/2014
The stated purpose of this set is to "explore the impact of the worst economic downturn the United States has seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s on the poor in the United States." Hanson and Essenburg, the former a staff attorney at a nonprofit organization in Minnesota, the latter a professor of economics at Bethel University in St. Paul, inform the reader that "We have included a wealth of information in nearly 60 essays and more than 150 graphs, charts, and tables, which provide background information on poverty and economics, along with detailed research on the relationship between the Great Recession and U. S. poverty." This encapsulates both the major strength and weakness of the volumes. While much hard work has gone into the production of these substantial works, the writing is often dense, filled with ill-defined terms and phrases, such as structured investment vehicles and asset backed commercial paper. Also, many of the statements, including "It appears that instead a 'new normal' of higher unemployment and poverty rates will be here for some time," are hardly revelatory. Lastly, an examination of the effects of the recession on the middle class would also be welcome. VERDICT Given these issues, libraries should purchase instead Daniel J. Leab's Encyclopedia of American Recessions and Depressions.—Michael Bemis, St. Paul

Library Journal