The United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why? Why does this land of plenty allow one in eight of its children to go without basic necessities, permit scores of its citizens to live and die on the streets, and authorize its corporations to pay poverty wages?

This undergraduate-level course explores these questions. Drawing on history, social-scientific research, and reporting, students investigate poverty in historical and contemporary perspective. Each week centers on a discussion of a topic central to understanding the causes and consequences of, and solutions to, American poverty. This course, which also includes field trips,  guest speakers, and group projects to address poverty, is supported by the Program for Community-Engaged Scholarship (PROCES).