Poverty and Power examines structural inequality in American society with a focus on the issue of poverty. The third edition features new material throughout, including discussions of the 2016 election and current political climate, the geography of poverty, the weakening of the safety net, the declining quality of employment opportunities, and more.

Many Americans believe that people are poor because of individual failings, such as lack of skills or work ethic. Poverty and Power challenges this view, showing that American poverty instead is a structural problem, resulting from failings of our political, economic, cultural, and social systems. The book examines the social forces and institutional problems that contribute to growing inequality and the persistence of poverty in the United States. Throughout the book, the author compares individualistic and structural approaches and makes a case for the superiority of a structural perspective on American poverty.