This guide has been created by the UMD Libraries in connection with the 2024-25 UMD First Year Book, Matthew Desmond's Poverty, by America. Poverty in the United States has a long history; as a complex phenomenon, its contours have varied over time and place. Poverty has been a major concern of governments, public policy experts, and scholars. Researchers, including UMD faculty, in the fields of history, sociology, economics, gender studies, race studies, criminology, public policy, among others, have produced countless publications on aspects of American poverty. The federal government, notably during the New Deal and with the War on Poverty of the 1960s, has taken a deep interest in the problems of poverty. Congress has investigated poverty in hearings and passed landmark legislation to address it. Federal agencies administer programs meant to alleviate poverty, and the Census Bureau and other agencies collect and publish extensive data about poverty. Foundations and think tanks study poverty and issue reports about it.
The guide links to a variety of online resources to help research various aspects of poverty in the United States. While many resources listed here are subscription resources available to UMD faculty, staff, and students by login, others are freely available to all. For questions, contact Eric Lindquist, history librarian, or other library subject specialists.
