Assignment:
The following table gives the percentage of the U.S. population living below the poverty level for the period from 1990 to 2002. (Source: World Almanac and Books of Facts 2004, page 382.)
Year % of U.S. Population Living Below Poverty Level
1990 13.5
1991 14.2
1992 14.8
1993 15.1
1994 14.5
1995 13.8
1996 13.7
1997 13.3
1998 12.7
1999 11.8
2000 11.3
2001 11.7
2002 12.1
Do you predict that the poverty rate will increase or decrease in the next several years? Explain which problem-solving technique you used to answer the question.
Provide complete and step by step solution for the question and show calculations and use formulas.