Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond
Who Benefits From Poverty — and Who Has the Power to End It
Matthew Desmond doesn’t just write about poverty — he exposes it. In Poverty, by America, he makes the case that poverty persists not because we lack resources or ideas, but because the system is designed to protect the comfort of some at the expense of others. This is not a book about the poor. It’s a book about us — and the choices we make, knowingly or not, that allow poverty to survive in one of the wealthiest nations in history.
Desmond invites us to stop seeing poverty as accidental or inevitable. Instead, he shows us how it's actively created and maintained — through policies, disinvestment, and a social contract that hoards opportunity and normalizes exclusion. But he doesn’t leave us in despair. This is also a book about accountability, possibility, and moral clarity.
What This Means for The Change Lab
This book is core to our work. At The Change Lab, we believe that ending poverty isn’t just about charity or programs — it’s about changing systems, sharing power, and rebuilding the social contract. Desmond pushes us to look in the mirror and ask what we’re willing to give up to build a more just society — and what we’re willing to build instead.
It also connects directly to the civic engagement pathways we’re lifting up:
Learn → Understand how poverty is subsidized by those who benefit from the current system.
Reflect → Explore our own roles, privileges, and responsibilities within unjust structures.
Connect → Join others working to shift narratives, build belonging, and reimagine our economy.
Act → Advocate for policy change, support power-sharing, and invest in community-led solutions.
If you care about economic justice, systemic inequality, or simply want to better understand why poverty persists in America, this book is essential. It’s a tough, urgent, and ultimately galvanizing read.
Desmond ends by reminding us: poverty will not end until we choose to end it. That choice — and that invitation — is at the heart of everything we’re building here.
