Top 10 Ways to End Poverty in the U.S.

The best way to escape from poverty is to have a decent job that pays a livable wage. No amount of welfare or social services can compare to this. To help combat unemployment, many have proposed a federal job guarantee. Under this type of program, the federal government would be the employer of last resort. If someone is unemployed and wants a job, but nobody in the private sector will hire them, then that person can apply to work for the federal government.

Basically, employment would become a right. Almost everyone who is willing to work can work. Franklin Roosevelt proposed adopting a second Bill of Rights, and one of those rights was the right to employment. Also, many economists believe that if we enact a program like this, wages in the private sector will rise. The theory is that if the federal government pays its employees better wages than the private sector, the private sector will have to compete to continue to gain workers. One way they would have to compete is by raising wages. So, we would possibly see the effects of raising the minimum wage without actually raising the minimum wage.

A universal basic income is essentially a floor on the minimum amount of earnings a person can make. Let's say we have a basic income of $12,000. Everyone would receive a $12,000 check from the government.

Many support this system because, first, it is less intrusive in people's lives and shrinks the power of the federal government. Second, everyone would receive a raise, which could act as a stimulus to the economy. Third, and most importantly, this system would encourage work, which the current welfare system does not. The current system strips one of their benefits when they begin working, but this system would actually increase their earnings if they work.

The main problem is the cost. It would cost around $3 trillion a year to provide every adult with a basic income. Because of this, some have proposed taxes such as a Land Value Tax, which I am in favor of, as it could raise that amount of revenue. Others have instead supported a universal guaranteed income, which is similar to a basic income, except that only people making less than the floor get any money. Everyone else would be unaffected. This would be much cheaper but also much more complicated. It's a simple case of trade-offs.

It's no secret that the education system is heavily flawed in the US. It's also no secret that there are many differing solutions to fix the education system. You might be on the side of increasing funding for public schools and colleges to provide free access to all. You might be on the side that believes we need to increase private school vouchers and weaken teachers' unions to bring back prosperity. You might be in the middle. But we can all agree that there is a fundamental problem, and fixing the problem will lead to increased opportunities for all.

This is controversial, I know. It is my opinion that if we abolish the minimum wage for the private sector, this will lead to more employment, which will lead to less poverty. Wouldn't this allow employers to exploit their employees? Yes, but not if we either increase the ease of unionizing in the workplace or enact a federal job guarantee. This will prevent the exploitation of the employees. A couple of countries never enacted a minimum wage and still have small amounts of poverty because of mass unionization. This would be a much better system than the one we currently have.

The majority of people who are jailed are those with low incomes. I think we all agree that anyone who commits a serious crime should be punished. But the main problem with the current justice system is that punishment is all we care about. We should be trying to help those who are released integrate back into society. Instead, these people are shunned and usually cannot find a job to provide for themselves or their families. Justice reform could help reduce poverty very effectively.

Again, I know we are all polarized on the issue of healthcare, but we can all agree that our current healthcare system is disastrous. The people who are hurt the most by the lack of healthcare affordability are the poor. By increasing access to affordable healthcare, we could prevent thousands of people from going into poverty each year.

Payroll taxes disproportionately affect the poor and middle class, while high earners spend a small fraction of their income on these taxes. By repealing payroll taxes and all other forms of regressive taxation, we can help low-income earners have larger disposable incomes and potentially stimulate the economy as well.

Many economists believe that the current maximum working week of 40 hours should be reduced. This would lead to higher productivity, which would lead to a better economy and more job opportunities for those in poverty. It would also lead to a much less stressed population and allow people to spend more time with their families.

By mandating that employers provide workers with paid paternity and sick leave, we can help prevent people from losing their pay and possibly lead to a healthier and happier population.