Food insecurity, or the inability to access sufficient food, affected nearly 50 million Americans in 2010. Although typically defined as a household-level condition, there is a growing consensus that the roots of individual and family-level hunger may also be a function of the communities in which food-insecure people reside. Continue Reading
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released a new poverty measure to replace the much-maligned official poverty measure that has not changed since 1963, when Ms. Mollie Orshansky, a well-intentioned Social Security Administration employee, created it.
Scholars and policymakers had long complained the 1963 measure was too simplistic and might give an inflated count (if one is conservative) or an undercount (if one is liberal) of the actual number of Americans in poverty. The old measure did not take into account differences in the cost of living in different areas, and did not count income from sources such as food stamps (now called SNAP) or tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). It also did not account for large expenses like medical costs and child care. The measure had stayed the same for 47 years for two main reasons — political and practical. Given that adjusting for cost of living, government transfers and other important budget items would likely increase the number of Americans living in poverty, no presidential administration was eager to change the measure. Continue Reading
Texas’ economic situation may look relatively strong at first glance, but even the most cursory glance under the hood should give citizens and policymakers a lot to worry about, contends Baker Institute Rice scholar Rachel Kimbro. In an op-ed for… Continue Reading
A week ago, I was part of a Texas delegation of demographers that met with staffers in the Washington, D.C., offices of Texas U.S. Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchinson and John Cornyn, as well as the offices of Texas U.S. Reps.… Continue Reading
Young children living in urban public housing spend more time playing outdoors than other urban children, according to a study co-authored by Baker Institute Rice Scholar Rachel Kimbro. Kimbro, who is an assistant professor of sociology at Rice University, worked… Continue Reading
It’s time for the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, which covers (in part) the provision of funds and nutrition regulations for public school breakfast and lunches. The act, also known as the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act,” is bipartisan and… Continue Reading
The Obama administration recently released its blueprint for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (formerly known as the “No Child Left Behind Act”). The proposal extends financial support for pre-K programs in public schools that are considered… Continue Reading