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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 June 2025
My first encounter with Daphne Cooper was in 2007. She was enrolled as a graduate student in the Department of Political Science at Clark Atlanta University, where I served as a professor. Dr. Cooper enrolled in several of my classes during her matriculation in the department. Among the classes was a seminar course organized around poverty policies in the United States. The question of the persistence of poverty among certain groups was the question that stood out for Dr. Cooper. She wanted to determine if there existed a link between poverty and public policies. Specifically, those policies which have as their goal the elimination of poverty.
While a student in my courses, Dr. Cooper and I collaborated on research projects. These collaborations were centered around inequality and public policies. In pursuit of her doctoral degree, Dr. Cooper conducted extensive research on the persistence of poverty among certain classes in the United States. She discovered that the answer to persistent poverty was as much a structural problem as it was an individual failing.
I served as chair of Dr. Cooper's dissertation committee, which gave me insight into her research process. However, more importantly, I was able to see how dedicated Dr. Cooper is to discover the why of a question and issue. This is evident in this book. The book is an expansion of the research she began as a doctoral student. This book digs deeper into the why of the persistence of poverty.
Dr. Cooper has used her extensive research in this area to explore the reasons for the vast and increasing inequality among groups in the United States. Dr. Cooper demonstrates that a society that is founded on individualism will not enact policies that challenge the status quo. Dr. Cooper argues that policies grounded in individualism and minimalism will produce short-term policies that must show immediate results.
Dr. Cooper challenges many of the notions on why poverty persists among very identifiable groups in U.S. society. Old notions are undermined and reasons as to why we should reconsider policymaking are thoroughly examined.
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