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Poverty

Our coverage of poverty in America, which policies help reduce it, and why it’s so hard to achieve economic mobility.

Paul Niehaus is changing how we think about fighting global poverty
The 2023 Future Perfect 50

After founding GiveDirectly, Niehaus is pushing the frontiers of social science research.

By Dylan Matthews
Future Perfect
Giving Tuesday 2019: news and updatesGiving Tuesday 2019: news and updates
Future Perfect

Why Giving Tuesday started, and how to make an impact with your donations.

By Vox Staff
Future Perfect
We’ve been fighting poverty all wrongWe’ve been fighting poverty all wrong
Future Perfect

The success of the expanded child tax credit shows why anti-poverty programs should be unconditional.

By Oshan Jarow
Future Perfect
One stat that could spur a compromise on the child tax creditOne stat that could spur a compromise on the child tax credit
Future Perfect

Congress is closer to giving cash to the poorest kids than you think.

By Dylan Matthews
Future Perfect
Basic income is less radical than you thinkBasic income is less radical than you think
Future Perfect

A world with basic income is one of less poverty and higher taxes, not utopia or collapse.

By Oshan Jarow
Future Perfect
Human progress has come at the expense of animals. It doesn’t have to.Human progress has come at the expense of animals. It doesn’t have to.
Future Perfect

Add in the extreme suffering of tens of billions of farmed animals, and suddenly the world looks like a much darker place.

By Bryan Walsh
Future Perfect
Governments once imagined a future without extreme poverty. What happened?Governments once imagined a future without extreme poverty. What happened?
Future Perfect

As the UN meets in New York, progress and energy around the Sustainable Development Goals is dwindling at the worst possible time.

By Bryan Walsh
Future Perfect
We cut child poverty to historic lows, then let it rebound faster than ever beforeWe cut child poverty to historic lows, then let it rebound faster than ever before
Future Perfect

The expanded child tax credit was a well-tested solution to child poverty. Bring it back.

By Oshan Jarow
Future Perfect
The US hired a leading economist to fix how it allocates foreign aid. Here’s his plan.The US hired a leading economist to fix how it allocates foreign aid. Here’s his plan.
Future Perfect

Dean Karlan explains his plan to get USAID to take evidence more seriously.

By Dylan Matthews
Future Perfect
Lots of Americans are in the global 1%. A tenth of their income could transform the world.Lots of Americans are in the global 1%. A tenth of their income could transform the world.
Future Perfect

How people like you could wipe out extreme poverty and prevent the next pandemic.

By Sigal Samuel
Future Perfect
Poverty is a major public health crisis. Let’s treat it like one.Poverty is a major public health crisis. Let’s treat it like one.
Future Perfect

Poverty contributes to hundreds of thousands of American deaths a year, a recent study finds.

By Oshan Jarow
Future Perfect
How abortion bans will strain an already failing foster systemHow abortion bans will strain an already failing foster system
Future Perfect

Poor families are more likely to be separated by the government. The Dobbs decision will make it worse.

By Miranda Dixon-Luinenburg
Housing
What a landmark new study on homelessness tells usWhat a landmark new study on homelessness tells us
Housing

How homeless people in California lost their homes, and how they cope.

By Rachel Cohen Booth
Future Perfect
The brewing war over who goes hungry in America — and how to feed themThe brewing war over who goes hungry in America — and how to feed them
Future Perfect

The Republican fight over SNAP benefits has deep historical roots.

By Kenny Torrella
Future Perfect
Why 70 percent of the world’s maternal deaths are in sub-Saharan AfricaWhy 70 percent of the world’s maternal deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa
Future Perfect

How do we ensure no person dies as a result of bringing life into this world?

By Rachel DuRose
Future Perfect
Why even brilliant scholars misunderstand poverty in AmericaWhy even brilliant scholars misunderstand poverty in America
Future Perfect

Housing expert Matthew Desmond argues poverty has stagnated in America, but misses something big.

By Dylan Matthews
Policy
Homeless encampments — and the debate over what to do about them — explainedHomeless encampments — and the debate over what to do about them — explained
Policy

People living in tents has become one of the most urgent issues in American politics.

By Rachel Cohen Booth
Jamila Michener knows that fighting poverty means fighting for democracy
The 2022 Future Perfect 50

The Cornell political scientist is doing groundbreaking research on why marginalized people’s demands are often ignored.

By Dylan Matthews
Economist Chris Blattman has reshaped our understanding of violence and poverty
The 2022 Future Perfect 50

The economist’s recent work offers a street-eye view of how to stop urban violence.

By Sigal Samuel
Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak wants to find out what makes antipoverty programs effective
The 2022 Future Perfect 50

The Yale economist has spent his career seeking out what’s most effective in helping the poor.

By Siobhan McDonough
Explainers
The Mississippi welfare fraud involving Brett Favre, explainedThe Mississippi welfare fraud involving Brett Favre, explained
Explainers

How a WWE wrestler, corrupt Mississippi officials, and Brett Favre allegedly siphoned money away from poor people.

By Jack Meserve
How effective altruism went from a niche movement to a billion-dollar force
Future Perfect

Effective altruism has gone mainstream. Where does that leave it?

By Dylan Matthews
Criminal Justice
How America fails childrenHow America fails children
Criminal Justice

US public policy is a disaster on guns — and so much more.

By Dylan Scott
Future Perfect
The simplest, most revolutionary approach to ending povertyThe simplest, most revolutionary approach to ending poverty
Future Perfect

A guaranteed income program designed by and for Black women.

By Siobhan McDonough
Future Perfect
22 things we think will happen in 202222 things we think will happen in 2022
Future Perfect

Forecasting what’s shaping up to be another bumpy year.

By Dylan Matthews, Kelsey Piper and 1 more
Future Perfect
22 predictions we made in 2021, and the 13 we got right22 predictions we made in 2021, and the 13 we got right
Future Perfect

Our batting average in forecasting 2021.

By Dylan Matthews, Sigal Samuel and 1 more
Politics
Democrats may let the best weapon against child poverty fade awayDemocrats may let the best weapon against child poverty fade away
Politics

The child tax credit accomplished in one month what other policies took a decade to achieve.

By Li Zhou
Money
The lie of “expired” food and the disastrous truth of America’s food waste problemThe lie of “expired” food and the disastrous truth of America’s food waste problem
Money

Stop throwing your food away.

By Alissa Wilkinson
Biden has launched the second war on poverty
Politics

The first war on poverty cut it in half. Joe Biden could do it again.

By Dylan Matthews
We tried to predict 2020. Here’s what we got right — and so very wrong.
Future Perfect

What we got right: Biden as the Democratic nominee, Brexit finally happening. What we got wrong: Trump reelected, the Supreme Court unchanged.

By Kelsey Piper, Sigal Samuel and 1 more
What Kenya can teach its neighbors — and the US — about improving the lives of the “unbanked”
Future Perfect

With cellphones in widespread use, getting everyone access to banking is within reach.

By Kelsey Piper
Politics
How Canada lifted nearly 300,000 kids out of poverty in a single yearHow Canada lifted nearly 300,000 kids out of poverty in a single year
Podcast
Politics

The Canadian government gives parents money each month. Listen to this episode of The Impact to find out how the program has made a real difference.

By Byrd Pinkerton, Dylan Matthews and 2 more
Future Perfect
The Nobel went to economists who changed how we help the poor. But some critics oppose their big idea.The Nobel went to economists who changed how we help the poor. But some critics oppose their big idea.
Future Perfect

Randomized controlled trials and the debate over them, explained.

By Kelsey Piper
Vouchers can help the poor find homes. But landlords often won’t accept them.
Future Perfect

Why discrimination against voucher holders is a big problem.

By Stephanie Wykstra
Politics
A generation of economists helped get us into this mess. A new generation can get us out.A generation of economists helped get us into this mess. A new generation can get us out.
Politics

The new economics, and how it can create a more just America.

By Jared Bernstein
Future Perfect
Alaska’s universal basic income problemAlaska’s universal basic income problem
Future Perfect

Alaska gives each resident a check every year. It’s cut poverty — and warped the state’s politics.

By Robyn Sundlee
Politics
The Catch-22 for labor unions enjoying newfound public supportThe Catch-22 for labor unions enjoying newfound public support
Politics

Public support for unions is high. But that doesn’t necessarily help unions grow.

By Dylan Scott
Politics
How Trump used a centuries-old racist trope to attack BaltimoreHow Trump used a centuries-old racist trope to attack Baltimore
Politics

Stereotypes about race and cleanliness have harmed black people — and their communities — for generations.

By P.R. Lockhart
Politics
What economists have gotten wrong for decadesWhat economists have gotten wrong for decades
Politics

Four economic ideas disproven by reality.

By Jared Bernstein
Politics
The Fed is doing something new: listening to low-income workersThe Fed is doing something new: listening to low-income workers
Politics

Low-income communities are finally feeling the expansion. The Fed is noticing.

By Jared Bernstein