The Other America: Yesterday and Today

Bill Barclay

Democratic Socialists of America &

Chicago Political Economy Group

7/12/2013

1962: Four Documents – and Their Impact

• The Other America – Michael Harrington– The War on Poverty and Medicare/Medicaid

• “The Port Huron Statement” – SDS– The 1960s student movement

• Silent Spring – Rachael Carson– The environmental movement

• The Feminine Mystique – Betty Friedan – The modern feminist movement

Who and Where Were Harrington’s Poor?

• People 65 and over• Children under 18• Rural

– Migrants– Appalachian farmers

• Urban – African Americans– Rural migrants (especially from Appalachia)

• Small town– Mines close– Factories move

In the sixties we waged a war on poverty, and poverty won.

- Ronald Reagan, 1987

The poor you will always have with you.- Matthew 26:11

If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.

- John F. Kennedy, 1963

6

Who Was Poor When Michael Harrington Wrote The Other America (official stats)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

% i

n P

ove

rty

Children <18

African Americans

Hispanic 1972*

Over 65

45

*1972 was the first year separate data was reported for Hispanics

US Overall: 22.6%

7

Percent of Population Officially Poor, 1959 - 2011

0

5

10

15

20

25

1959

1963

1967

1971

1975

1979

1983

1987

1991

1995

1999

2003

2007

2011

% in

Po

ve

rty

% of Total Population in Poverty

45

In 1987, Reagan gave up fighting poverty.

11.4% in 197811.3% in 2000

8

Who Was Poor When Michael Harrington Wrote The Other America - another view

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

% i

n P

ove

rty

Children <18

Female Headed Families

White Female HeadedFamilies

African Americans

African American FemaleHeaded Families

Hispanic 1972*

Hispanic Female HeadedFamilies 1972*

Over 65

45

*1972 was the first year separate data was reported for Hispanics

US Overall: 22.6%

“A tremendous growth in the number of working wives is an expensive way to increase income. It will be paid for in terms of impoverishment of home life, of children who receive less care, love and supervision.”

- Michael Harrington, The Other America

10

Who Is Poor Today: 2011 Official Statistics

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

% i

n P

ove

rty

Children <18

Female Headed Families

White Female HeadedFamilies

African Americans

African American FemaleHeaded Families

Hispanics

Hispanic Female HeadedFamilies

45

US Overall: 15.1%

11

Changes in Poverty Status,1959 vs. 2010

-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

% i

n P

ove

rty

Total Population Change

Children Change

Female Headed FamilyChangeWhite Change

African American Change

African American FemaleHeaded Family ChangeHispanic Change*

Hispanic Female HeadedFamily Change*18 - 64 Yrs of Age Change

65 and Over Change

45

From Poverty to Inequality

The US in Comparative Perspective

Percent of Children in Poverty in Single Parent Families, Parent Working (2008/2009)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

% o

f P

op

ula

tio

n

Denmark Norway UK Sweden Germany Greece Finland N. Zealand France

Australia Belgium S. Korea Poland OECD Italy Netherlands Austria Spain

Canada Israel Mexico US Japan

.US

Percent of Population with Incomes Less Than 50% of the Median (2007/2008)

0

5

10

15

20

25

% o

f P

op

ula

tio

n

Denmark Austria Netherlands France Norway Finland Sweden

Switzerland Germany Belgium Ireland Poland New Zealand OECD

United Kingdom Canada Italy Greece Portugal Spain Australia

Korea Japan United States Israel Mexico

1 in 6 workers in the US earn less than half the median income.

In Denmark, only 1 in 16 workers earn less than half the median income.

US

Denmark

OECD Avg.

Where the Jobs will be: 2010 - 2020

Occupation Median Annual Wage, 2010

All Occupations $33,840

Registered Nurses $64,690

Retail Salespersons $20,670

Home Health Aides $20,050

Personal Care Aides $19,640

Office Clerks, General $26,610

Food Preparation and Service Wkrs $17,950

Customer Service Representatives $30,460

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Drivers $37,770

Laborers (freight, stock, hand, etc) $23,460

Postsecondary Teachers $45,690

• CPEG jobs program: A job for anyonewilling and able to work.– Create 4.5 million new jobs/yr for five years

– Most of those jobs would be direct hires in the public sector

– Would pay a living wage ($18/hr)

– Included training and a training level for youth entering the labor force

– Include training to being provide skills to workers who may not usually hold these jobs (e.g., women in construction)

A Social Market Policy for Labor

• Three targeted areas for employment:– Physical infrastructure (highways, bridges, schools, etc.)

– Social infrastructure (CNAs, caring for very young and very old, teacher aids, etc)

– Green economy (manufacturing/services with higher labor content)

• How much would it cost? – $175 billion/cohort or $875 billion by year 5

A Social Market Policy for Labor: II

What would this Social Market Policy for Labor do?

• It would end poverty and solve our unemployment problem

• It would generate increased aggregate demand in the economy

• It would change the power relationships in the workplace

• Is there anything out there like this? • Yes, HR 1000 (Conyers

“Do you think that, in general, most people can be trusted?”

From Poverty to Inequality

Social Trust and Inequality

25.00%

35.00%

45.00%

55.00%

65.00%

Tru

st S

core

Denmark .24

Sweden .23

Norway .28

Netherlands .31

N. Zealand .36

Japan .38

Germany .28

Australia .30

Canada .32

US .45

UK .34

US