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It is becoming increasingly apparent that a nation's poverty rate is determined in large part by how a nation's governing authorities distribute economic and other resources amongst the population, i.e., politics. In this article various definitions of both poverty and politics are presented and their interrelationships noted. The links between politics and poverty can be understood in three primary ways. The first is that individual characteristics such as lack of education or employment skills create poverty. The second is that public policies themselves are the primary determinants of a nation's poverty rates. The third is that the distribution of power and influence within the nation create the public policies that determine poverty rates. Recent data from the Luxembourg Income Study, the Innocenti Research Centre, and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development are used to illustrate how differences in the poverty rate are shaped by the politics of a nation.
Introduction
Societies set goals for themselves. The French aim for Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, the Americans seek Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, Norwegians strive for Egality and Equality, and Canadians aim for Peace, Order, and Good Government. In Australia the idea of a Fair Go is seen as part of its national identity. Whatever the goal, the presence of poverty is a clear obstacle to its attainment. Poverty is also a clear threat to human and social development, and health and wellbeing. It is becoming increasingly apparent that poverty in developed nations is a result of the political and economic organisation of society rather than the personal failings of individuals. Recent scholarship has examined how national governments organised along social democratic lines have the lowest poverty rates and those organised along liberal lines have the highest. In this special issue of Social Alternatives we examine the politics of poverty by; a) reviewing the recent literature on the politics of poverty; b) examining these concepts in relation to exemplar nations of each regime; and c) outlining the political processes by which poverty can be reduced in these nations.
Poverty
There is a consensus among agencies and researchers on the meaning of poverty in developed nations. These definitions identify two kinds of poverty: absolute and overall. The World Summit on Social Development provides this...