The dynamics of poverty

For those who experience it, is poverty a lasting or a temporary condition? What types of individuals and households are more likely to endure either "permanent" or "transitory" poverty, and what programs are more likely to be effective in reducing the two types of need? The answers to these questions have important bearing on the direction of government policy: short-term measures such as income transfers are adequate to relieve temporary distress; long-term measures including structural changes in the labor market as well as investment in education, training, and special services are needed to address persistent poverty.