[In What Money Can't Buy, Susan Mayer] developed a statistical model that predicted what would happen to children's prospects if poor families' incomes were increased from $15,000 to $30,000 a year. The surprising answer is: not much. Ms Mayer found that although doubling the income of poor families would lift most children above the poverty line, it would have virtually no effect on their test scores and only a slight effect on social behaviour...There are two reasons for this. First, Ms Mayer notes that the extra money tends to be spent on such things as restaurant meals, clothes, dishwashers, roomier houses or second cars, none of which matters much in helping children succeed in school or life.... Second, good parenting has much in common with being a good worker. In both roles, the reward goes to diligence, determination, good health, willingness to co-operate, and so on. Children with parents who possess these qualities tend to do well in life, even if mother and father do not make much money.

The reason is that $30K a year for a family is NOT ThAT MUCH and will barely lift that family into the lower rungs of the lower-middle class in most areas of the country. It's not like all of a sudden, those families are going to suddenly be able to hire tutors or send their kids to private school or let Mom reduce her work hours so she can spend more time with the kids. It's because it is still not enough money, you officious, smug, condescending, know-nothing, elitist jackass.

And don't you love the conservative Money Morality Patrol? The lecturing to the poor about where and how they should spend their dough?

the extra money tends to be spent on such things as restaurant meals, clothes, dishwashers, roomier houses or second cars,

Right. How DARE they want to move out of what is probably a crime-ridden, roach-infested public housing unit or crammed in with various in-laws and friends 10 people in a two-bedroom apartment (because there is nothing else you could afford on $15K for a family), how dare they go out once in a while or buy a new pair of shoes? Oh the horror!!

I finding the study suspect, because the values it suggests lead to success ("diligence, determination, good health, willingness to co-operate") amount to so much common coded name calling--the poor are lazy, fat and antisocial. I would not accept the findings anyway, as they suggest we should accept that the poor are helpless and hopeless.

About 20% of those have annual income at or less than $15,000 a year.

About 50% of those are families with children.

120 million * 20% * 50% = 12 million family households with income at or less than $15,000 per year.

Add $15,000 per year to each of those households:

12 million * $15,000 = $180 billion of additional annual economic activity.