The terms poverty industryorpoverty business refer to a wide range of money-making activities that attract a large portion of their business from the poor. Businesses in the poverty industry often include payday loan centers, pawnshops, rent-to-own centers, casinos, liquor stores, tobacco stores, and credit card companies.[1][2][3] Illegal ventures such as loansharking or drug-dealing or prostitution might also be included. The poverty industry makes roughly US$33 billion a year in the United States.[4][page needed] In 2010, elected American federal officials received more than $1.5 million dollars in campaign contributions from poverty industry donors.[5]
While the ethics of the poverty industry are debatable, this doesn't imply that the industry can't offer legitimate services or that all businesses of a given type should be considered part of the industry.
The pawnbroker, the subprime auto lender, and the rent-to-own operator might say the same. These and other merchants, part of what might be called the poverty business...
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The poverty industry has given huge contributions to lawmakers. According to the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, payday lenders donated more than $1.5 million to federal office holders during the 2010 election cycle.
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Major industries
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