Which of the following statements best expresses the belief of most middle- and upper-class Americans about poverty in the late nineteenth century?
A) Most poverty is caused by the business cycle.
B) The greed of the wealthy is the major reason for poverty.
C) The poor are poor because of their own personal weaknesses.
D) Much poverty is caused by the degrading environment in which people live.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Most middle- and upper-class Americans in the late nineteenth century believed in the ideology of self-help and individualism. This meant that they believed that people were poor because of their own personal weaknesses, such as laziness or lack of ambition, and that the solution to poverty was for individuals to work hard and improve their own circumstances. This belief was reflected in the rise of the charity organization movement, which emphasized individual responsibility and moral uplift as the solution to poverty.

Which of the Following Statements Best Expresses the Belief of Most