The first interdisciplinary reference to cover the socioeconomic and political history, the movements, and the changing face of poverty in the United States. * 300 A-Z entries on topics related to poverty and social welfare, including the political discovery of poverty, antipoverty policies, and debates about legislation * Includes five introductory chronological essays covering U.S. poverty since the colonial era, giving a historical foundation to the entries in the book * Contributions from over 200 distinguished scholars and experts * Numerous illustrations and primary source documents dispersed throughout the work