| Executive Summary | 3 |
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| Table of contents | 9 |
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| List of Abbreviations | 12 |
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| List of Figures | 13 |
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| List of Tables | 15 |
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| 1 Introduction | 17 |
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| 2 Problem Definition | 18 |
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| 3 Objectives | 19 |
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| 4 The Fight Against Poverty | 20 |
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| 4.1. Poverty – A Definition | 20 |
| 4.2. How to Measure Poverty | 22 |
| 4.3. The Variety of Poverty | 23 |
| 4.3.1. Key Factors of the Risk of Becoming Poor | 23 |
| 4.3.2. Poverty Among Poor Educated People | 24 |
| 4.3.3. Child Poverty | 25 |
| 4.3.4. Poverty of Seniors | 26 |
| 4.3.5. Poverty Among Handicapped People | 28 |
| 5 The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty | 30 |
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| 6 Poverty in Germany | 32 |
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| 6.1. The Risk-of-Poverty-Line in Germany | 32 |
| 6.2. The Present Situation in Germany | 34 |
| 7 Prospective Poor People | 37 |
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| 7.1. Outsiders of Today are the Poor of Tomorrow | 37 |
| 7.2. An Income Above the Average is No Relaxing Situation | 38 |
| 8 Policy Options Against Poverty | 39 |
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| 8.1. Actions to Avoid Poverty | 40 |
| 8.1.1. Minimum Wages | 40 |
| 8.1.2. Securing Pensions | 41 |
| 8.1.3. Tax Policy | 46 |
| 8.1.4. Asset Accumulation | 47 |
| 8.1.5. Prevent Excessive Indebtedness | 47 |
| 8.1.6. Education | 48 |
| 8.1.7. Basic Education | 48 |
| 8.1.8. Vocational Education | 49 |
| 8.1.9. Lifelong Learning | 49 |
| 8.2. Actions to Help People Out of Poverty | 50 |
| 8.2.1. Education | 50 |
| 8.2.2. Help for Single Parents | 51 |
| 8.2.3. Language Skills | 51 |
| 8.2.4. Aid for Families with Many Children | 52 |
| 8.2.5. Help People Out of Drug-Addiction | 52 |
| 8.2.6. Social Housing | 53 |
| 8.2.7. Disabled People | 53 |
| 9 Reality – How Political Options Impact on Life The Status Quo – Facts | 55 |
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| 9.1. Policy Options to Avoid Poverty Impact Reality | 57 |
| 9.1.1. Effects of the Policy Option “Minimum Wages” | 59 |
| 9.1.2. Effects of Policy Options to Secure Pensions | 62 |
| 9.1.3 Effects of the Tax Policy | 66 |
| 9.1.4. Effects of Asset Accumulation | 67 |
| 9.1.5. Effects of Policy Options to Prevent Indebtedness | 69 |
| 9.1.6. Effects of Policy Options to Improve Education | 72 |
| 9.1.7. Basic Education in Reality | 72 |
| 9.1.8. Vocational Education in Reality | 75 |
| 9.1.9. Lifelong Learning in reality | 77 |
| 9.2. Policy Options to Help out of Poverty Impact Reality | 77 |
| 9.2.1. Education | 78 |
| 9.2.2. Effects of Policy Options to Support Single Parents | 78 |
| 9.2.3. Effects of Policy Options to Improve Language Skills | 79 |
| 9.2.4. Effects of Policy Options to Support Families with Many Children | 81 |
| 9.2.5. Effects of Policy Options Against Drug-Addiction | 82 |
| 9.2.6. Effects of the Policy Option “Social Housing” | 84 |
| 9.2.7. Effects of Political Options to Support Disabled People | 86 |
| 10 Results | 89 |
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| 11 Conclusion | 90 |
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| 12 Bibliography | 91 |