What are the root causes of poverty?

Poverty is a complex social phenomenon and, according to sociologists, some of its causes include overspending, the fatalism of the poor, the desire of the poor to live on welfare rather than working in demeaning positions, the lack of access to education and the low minimum wage. Many of the theories regarding the causes of poverty derive from stereotypes.

Some of the primary causes of poverty include corruption, an economic system that excludes the children, the unemployed and the elderly, lack of democracy and lack of control of local resources. Poverty also has historical causes, which include war, conquest, slavery and colonialism.