1. (Poverty and the Poor) Visit the Census Bureau's page on poverty statistics at https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/ poverty.html. Look at the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, and find the latest poverty estimate for your county. How does the poverty rate there compare with the overall rate in your state and in the United States as a whole?
2. (Wall Street Journal) The front page of the Marketplace section of the Wall Street Journal often carries articles on income distribution and the personal impact of poverty. Pay particular attention to the "Work & Family" and "Business and Race" columns in the Wednesday paper. How are the actions of U.S. businesses affecting income distribution and poverty?