Authors present differing opinions on whether welfare reforms have helped America's poor, whether education is a cure for poverty, whether marriage reduces poverty, and whether capitalism is the cure for poverty.

Welfare reforms have been successful in helping America's poor / Jeff Jacoby - Welfare reforms have not been a complete success / Katha Pollitt - Government programs should be more tailored to America's poor / Margaret Simms - Government welfare hurts society and does not benefit the poor / The Libertarian Party - Education can help people out of poverty / Michelle Rhee - Is education the cure for poverty? / Jared Bernstein - Marriage reduces poverty / Robert Rector - Marriage is not the answer to poverty / Polly Toynbee - Raising the minimum wage will help the poor / Holly Sklar - Wage regulation will not help the poor / Bill Barnes - Capitalism is the cure for poverty / Robert Gelinas - Unregulated capitalism exploits the poor / Barbara Ehrenreich - Africa needs trade more than aid / William Easterly - Microfinance can alleviate poverty / Daniel Howden.