Considering Local Measures of Poverty Using Shift-Share Techniques: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

When President Lyndon Johnson enlisted aid from economists, social scientists, and policymakers for his War on Poverty, we still find it difficult four decades later maneuvering through the maze of conceptualizing and measuring poverty (Celllini et al. 2008). Is it time to reevaluate how we measure poverty? Would an alternative technique such as shift share analysis provide a better measure of poverty which could lead to a better understanding of poverty?.