One of Rank's contentions on his view of the definition of poverty, he states, is "poverty is partially in the eye of the beholder...the devil lies in the details" (Why American Poverty Affects Us All, pg.21). He believes that the multiplier of 3 needs to be applied in order to create a real sense of the official poverty line for a family or an individual. Rank supports this belief by presenting examples of the wage rate a family of four must meet to live just above the poverty line and maintain an essential diet. He states, "A family of four would need to spend $6,130.67 to purchase such a diet in 2002. This figure is then multiplied by 3 (in the sample case $6,130.67 x 3 = $18,392), which constitutes the official poverty rate for a family of four" (Why American Poverty Affects Us All, pg.22). He believes that 1/3 of a family's income is spent on food and the residual 2/3 of the income is spent on clothing and utilities. Due to this reasoning, $6,130.67 is just enough money to provide for a family of four while sustaining the basic needs of survival. He also states that “For a family of 4 -- $18,392…comes out to $118 a week, $16.86 a day…assuming that family members eat 3 meals a day…” the remaining “$12,261—provides our family with $263 per week for other expenses” (Why American Poverty Affects Us All, pg.23). Lastly, he supports his argument by applying the average rent for a 2 bedroom apartment along with the expenses they may have left for the week to keep up with the necessary requirements to maintain a healthy environment for their family.
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