Poverty
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Question
What is poverty?
Answer
A lack of the resources and opportunities needed to live a decent life — food, health, education, safety and a say — not just a lack of money.
Question
What is absolute poverty?
Answer
Lacking the basics needed to survive (food, clean water, shelter), often set at a fixed income line like a few dollars a day, wherever you live.
Question
What is relative poverty?
Answer
Falling far below the normal living standard of your own society, even if you can survive — so even rich countries have it.
Question
Income vs multidimensional poverty?
Answer
Income poverty is measured only by money; multidimensional poverty is measured by health, education and living standards together.
Question
What is the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)?
Answer
A measure that counts someone as poor if they are deprived across several of health, education and living standards, not just income.
Question
Why is poverty about opportunities, not just cash?
Answer
Being trapped without the health, education, safety or freedom to improve your life is poverty, even with some income.
Question
Why do definitions of poverty matter politically?
Answer
They decide who is counted as poor, who gets help, and whether a government can claim poverty is falling.
Question
How are poverty and inequality linked?
Answer
Where wealth is very unequally shared, growth can raise average income while many stay poor, so tackling poverty often means tackling inequality.
Question
Absolute-poverty focus vs relative-poverty focus?
Answer
Absolute focus targets ending extreme survival poverty (growth); relative focus says poverty persists wherever people fall far below their society (fairness/opportunity).
Question
Can someone above the income line still be poor?
Answer
Yes — the MPI shows people above an income line can still lack schooling, clean water or health, so they remain deeply poor.
Question
What is the modern view of poverty?
Answer
A lack of opportunities and capabilities across whole lives — being unable to live a life one values — not merely low income.
Read the notes
Full study notes for Poverty
Topic 3.1 hub
Contested meanings: development, sustainability, poverty, inequality
More from Topic 3.1
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Global Politics exam skills
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