PAUPERISM. – A social phenomenon by which, in a given historical period and within a certain territory, a portion of the population finds itself, in a general and continuous manner, in economic conditions so dire as to make it extremely difficult to satisfy even the most basic needs.
A certain extension of the phenomenon and its continuity thus distinguish pauperism from simple poverty (q.v.) or, better, distinguish the different perspective from which the phenomenon of the lack of goods in relation to needs is considered.
I. PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY PAUPERISM
Although pauperism is a phenomenon that, albeit limited, has always existed in every type of society and which will undoubtedly not cease even in the future, when it has historically struck a given society, it has affected a large part of the population for a more or less long, but continuous, period. With this clarified, it is possible to distinguish two forms of pauperism: one of a permanent character and the other of a temporary character. Permanent pauperism is the phenomenon by which, at all times and in every society—even those economically most advanced—there has always existed, and still exists, a more or less significant number of individuals living in conditions of indigence; this is due to the fact that no human society, however perfect, will ever be able to eliminate all circumstances that may cause an individual to fall into conditions of misery. Illnesses, misfortunes, financial setbacks, etc., combined with other circumstances in which the mitigating intervention of society becomes difficult or even impossible, constitute factual situations that will never be absent and that, even if apparently isolated and independent, determine, within a mass of millions of individuals, a continuous phenomenon of a troubling nature. Naturally, while permanent pauperism may assume forms that can be called normal—primarily because of their limited scope—it assumes a quite different character in certain countries. This is due above all to particularly unfavourable situations presented by the physical and economic environment of the country itself, as well as by the degree of ability of its inhabitants to overcome the resistances that the environment itself presents. Thus, a territory that is poor in natural resources but abundant in population will undoubtedly be a country characterised by the existence of severe permanent pauperism. Similarly, a country in which caste or class prejudices have created deep divisions within society will necessarily see, within the so-called lower castes or classes, the emergence of alarming phenomena of pauperism.Temporary pauperism, on the other hand, is that caused by exceptional and extraordinary events or phenomena and which, as such, normally persists only as long as the effects of such events or phenomena endure, whether these effects dissipate on their own or are eliminated by external interventions. Such are, for example, wars, economic crises, and natural catastrophes (floods, earthquakes, etc.) that destroy all kinds of goods. It is thus easy for economic crises—which, as has now been established, recur with a certain cyclical frequency—to give rise to permanent pauperism, which in turn may be exacerbated by the consequences of a war (see, for example, the period between the two world wars). Similarly, where certain natural catastrophes recur with notable frequency (such as, for example, floods and plagues in some Eastern countries), it is clear that pauperism, even if originally temporary in nature, becomes permanent.
Whether permanent or temporary, pauperism is a phenomenon fraught with serious consequences. First, it leads in the long run to a deterioration of the physical state of the various categories affected, which in turn causes a decline in intellectual faculties, as well as frequent imbalances on the moral plane, resulting ultimately in a general weakening of the human personality.
II. STATE INTERVENTION
Serious are the consequences for society as well. Indeed, society sees an increase in the number of those who become increasingly unable to contribute to the economic, political, and social life of the country, and who disturb internal tranquillity by becoming easy prey and tools for extremist and subversive ideological and political movements that threaten the established order. Hence the age-old problem of providing for the elimination or at least the reduction of pauperism.Naturally, depending on the greater or lesser social maturity of the various political communities, such action has been and still is of very different nature and effectiveness. Broadly speaking, it is possible to distinguish an intervention by society that tends solely or primarily to eliminate pauperism without addressing the causes that have determined it, from an intervention that, while not ignoring the real and contingent situation, seeks to identify the origins and to devise means to eliminate or preventively mitigate the effects. Historically, it can certainly be affirmed that society has gradually moved—albeit not always in a continuous manner—from a conception of pauperism that was solely repressive, if not of its consequences alone, to a broader conception by which it seeks to prevent the phenomenon from arising, or to reduce its scope, or, finally, to foresee and reduce its consequences.
It is clear that when reference is made to society in this context, this refers first and foremost to the politically organised society, i.e., the State, which is indeed tasked with the protection of those citizens who, with their own strength alone, are unable to provide for the satisfaction of even the most basic needs. And in fact, it is observed how, from the simple distribution of food or other essential goods (e.g., the famous *frumentations* of ancient Rome), the State moved, in the Middle Ages and especially in the modern age—when numerous factors paved the way for new forms of economy that created vast masses of unemployed—to various types of economic interventions aimed at protecting the less fortunate classes (e.g., all policies of price controls and, in general, food policies, laws against vagrancy, as well as the establishment of centres for the collection and assistance of the destitute or even workhouses), and finally, after the not brief parenthesis of the liberal period, during which the State reverted to a purely assistential role with regard to pauperism, to the broad social policies now instituted by almost all States, directed largely towards the prevention, repression, or mitigation of the consequences of pauperism, as well as to broader economic policies when these aim to create environmental conditions that minimise the possibility of pauperism arising.