This course provides an in-depth examination of current research concerning poverty in the U.S., as a background for developing macro interventions in local community settings. The seminar offers (1) an in depth examination of: measurements and theoretical explanations of poverty incorporating both panel data and ethnography; (2) skill development in assessment of the role of neighborhoods in structuring work opportunities; and (3) methods for designing macro interventions, specifically community-based economic development, workforce development, and social enterprise. By the end of the semester, students are expected to develop an economic development plan in a specific neighborhood and write a mock grant proposal to fund their plan.