貧困との闘い――我々はどのようにして勝ったのか？負けたのか？

How We Won―and Lost―the War on Poverty, in 6 Charts

Jan. 8, 2014, Mother Jones

"This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America. It will not be a short or easy struggle, no single weapon or strategy will suffice, but we shall not rest until that war is won. The richest nation on Earth can afford to win it. We cannot afford to lose it." (by President Lyndon B. Johnson, on January 8)

ジョンソン政権は、"Great Society"を理想として掲げて、Food stamp, Medicare, Medicaid, Heas Start, 公立学校への援助の増額、などのプログラムを実施していった。
その結果、ジョンソンが政権についている間、貧困率は23％から12％へと減少した。

今日ではどうだろうか？政府が発表する統計によれば、貧困率は1967年の14.2％から2012年の15％へと、わずかに増加している。

しかし、この数字は正確ではない。政府が発表する貧困率には、food stampsやhousing assistanceなどのセーフティネットプログラムからの非金銭的政府援助や、税金や医療コストなどの支出が含まれていない。最近、コロンビア大学の研究チームが、非金銭的政府援助や支出、今日の生活水準を考慮した、調整済み貧困率を発表した。この発表によれば、1967年から2012年の間で、貧困率は26％から16％へと減少した。

下から2つめのチャートで、アメリカの主要な13都市のリビングコストが載っている。

The EPI (the Economic Policy Institute) analysis found that the monthly costs associated with "an adequate standard of living" in St. Louis include $830 for housing, $754 for food, $959 for child care, $607 for transportation, $1,457 for healthcare, $405 for other necessities, and $377 in taxes, for a grand total of $5,389 a month. That's far above the federal poverty line for a family of four, which is $1,962 a month.

ニューヨークは最も高く、（年間）10万ドルに達するほど。

President Lyndon B. Johnson announced a "war on poverty" in America in his State of the Union address on January 8, 1964. "This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America," he said. "It will not be a short or easy struggle, no single weapon or strategy will suffice, but we shall not rest until that war is won. The richest nation on Earth can afford to win it. We cannot afford to lose it." The aim of the war, he said would be to "cure" and "prevent" poverty.

Johnson's administration went on to design "Great Society" initiatives, including a permanent food stamp program, Medicare and Medicaid, Head Start, which provides early education to low-income kids, and increased funding to public schools.

The war on poverty helped raise millions above the poverty line. During Johnson's years in office, the poverty rate dropped from 23 percent to 12 percent.

But where do we stand today? The government's official measure of poverty shows that poverty has actually increased slightly since the Johnson administration, rising from 14.2 percent in 1967 to 15 percent in 2012.