NPR: How America's Losing The War On Poverty

While President Obama and Gov. Romney battle for the hearts and minds of the middle class this election season, there's a huge swath of Americans that are largely ignored. It's the poor, and their ranks are growing.

According to a recent survey by The Associated Press, the number of Americans living at or below the poverty line will reach its highest point since President Johnson made his famous declaration of war on poverty in 1964.

Close to 16 percent of Americans now live at or below the poverty line. For a family of four, that's 23,000 a year. On top of that, 100 million of us — one out of three Americans — manage to survive on a household income barely twice that amount. How is this poverty crisis happening?

http://www.npr.org/2012/08/04/158141728/how-americas-losing-the-war-on-poverty