By Aisha Nyandoro,Contributor,Ph.D

Copyright forbes

The Root Causes Of Poverty Are More Complex Than Personal Choices, Challenging Simplistic Narratives To Unlock Real Solutions For Economic Equity

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A recent AP-NORC poll reveals a pervasive misunderstanding about the root causes of poverty in the United States. Most Americans, nearly six in 10, believe personal choices are a major factor in keeping people poor, while fewer than half attribute poverty to unfair systems; and just four in 10 place significant blame on lack of government support. The findings expose a common narrative — that poverty stems primarily from individual failings — which is a convenient myth that benefits the wealthy by justifying policies that allow economic insecurity to persist. Such stereotypes complicate efforts to address poverty systemically and improve our economy for everyone.

The poll found that 68% of U.S. adults say poverty has increased nationally over the past 25 years, a perception influenced by the rising visibility of unsheltered homelessness, which about 80% agree has surged in the same period. Yet, paradoxically, the actual poverty rate has decreased by “nearly every measure,” according to University of Chicago economist Bruce Meyer who helped design the study. The dissonance between data and perception reflects how the image of people living visibly in tents and on the streets has overshadowed broader and more nuanced economic realities.

Despite this public perception, the persistence of poverty is tied to systemic and structural issues that the poll only partially reveals. A quote used often by Dr. Matthew Desmond, a professor at Princeton and the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on poverty, encapsulates the misguided approach we’ve taken to solving poverty for far too long: “Kids are jumping out the windows of burning buildings, falling to their deaths. And we think the problem is that they’re jumping.”

To figure out why the buildings are burning, we must abandon simplistic tropes and acknowledge the hard truth: poverty is a policy choice, not a personal one. According to Feeding America, the root causes of poverty encompass factors such as inadequate education, racial and gender discrimination, stagnant wages, unaffordable housing and an underinvestment in social safety nets. Many reports echo these findings, highlighting how structural inequalities and policy failures create barriers to economic mobility and deepen poverty.

Financial policies over the past few years reinforce this dynamic. The expiration of the expanded Child Tax Credit saw child poverty soar by record levels after historic declines, exemplifying how government intervention can significantly influence economic outcomes for vulnerable populations. The current tax cuts pushed by Congressional Republicans and enacted into law in July disproportionately benefit the wealthiest Americans and large corporations while reducing benefits for low-income people, exacerbating wealth inequality and economic instability for many. According to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, the law will lead to the top 10% of earners receiving an average boost of $13,600 per year over the next decade. By contrast, the bottom 10% will see a decrease of $1,200.

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The AP-NORC poll further reveals the partisan divides in how Americans view poverty. Most Republicans (77%) believe personal choices are largely to blame for poverty, compared with 56% of independents and under half of Democrats. Democrats are notably more likely to emphasize the importance of government support as a factor. Meanwhile, the poll shows broad agreement that homelessness and poverty require government action, with a majority of respondents saying government spending on assistance is currently too low. Yet policies like the “One Big Beautiful Act” continue to favor regressive tax cuts over expanding social protections.

This gap between perception and policy points to the crucial need for shifting the narrative about poverty. The dominant morality tale that equates poverty with lack of effort obscures the real dynamics at play and makes it easier for the powerful to oppose policies that would reduce economic disparities. When poverty is framed as a personal failure as we see in the myth about pulling oneself up by our bootstraps, the conversation steers away from confronting difficult truths about wealth concentration, systemic discrimination and leads to intentional disinvestment in both people and business.

Changing the story is imperative not only for justice, but also for economic vitality. People living in poverty — and those facing economic insecurity — are major contributors to the economy as workers, consumers and neighbors. When too many remain trapped by outsized housing costs, low wages, and inadequate health care, the entire economy suffers; with a disproportionate negative effect on people of color. Increased inequality leads to weaker demand, higher health and social costs and greater social instability.

To truly end poverty and build an economy that works for everyone, solutions must address the full scope of root causes. This means expanding affordable housing, raising wages, guaranteeing health care, investing in education and restoring robust social safety nets. It means reversing tax policies that funnel wealth to the top instead of lifting up working families. Most importantly, it means society must recognize poverty as a structural and systemic issue, not a personal moral failing.

The findings from the AP-NORC poll highlight a tension that must be resolved: while Americans acknowledge the complexity of poverty and agree that government action is necessary, too many remain anchored to a simplistic and misleading narrative about individual responsibility. Overcoming this contradiction requires hard conversations about power, privilege and policy choices that have sustained economic inequality for decades. Action steps include:

Emphasizing systemic causes over individual blame: Shifting messaging to highlight how policies, institutions, and societal structures perpetuate poverty rather than focusing narrowly on personal choices.

Centering lived experience and humanity: Using storytelling that uplifts the voices and diverse realities of people living in poverty, countering stereotypes and bringing nuance and empathy to public understanding. At the organization I run focused on families living in extreme poverty, we host an annual night of storytelling along with regularly publishing first-hand accounts from the individuals we serve.

Be concrete about policies and solutions: Clearly identify which systems, laws and practices need to change, and what concrete outcomes would result — for example, advocating for expanded tax credits or wage reforms.

Only by confronting the reality of poverty can we create a more equitable and prosperous future. Shifting public understanding paves the way for policies that dismantle systemic barriers, rather than perpetuate economic insecurity under the guise of personal fault. The true measure of our economic progress will not be how the wealthiest fare, but whether we expand opportunity and security for every person. Failing to do so will condemn millions to continued hardship and weaken the fabric of our economy and democracy.

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