What was the main theme or topic of the influential book "The Other America"?

Introduction / Context:
"The Other America" is a landmark sociological and political book that had a major impact on public policy in the United States. It exposed the harsh reality that a large portion of Americans were living in poverty, even during times of apparent prosperity. Competitive exams sometimes test this by asking about the book's central theme. The aim of this question is to select the correct summary of that theme: widespread poverty in America.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The book title is "The Other America".
• The options present different social problems such as poverty, poor education, racism, infrastructure, and urbanisation.
• The question seeks the main focus of the book, not every issue it may touch upon.
• We assume knowledge of basic post war American social history.

Concept / Approach:
The key concept is understanding that "The Other America" by Michael Harrington brought attention to the existence of a hidden poor population in a supposedly affluent society. The book argued that millions of Americans were trapped in poverty. While issues like education and racism are related to social inequality, the core theme here is economic deprivation. The best approach is to recall that this book influenced anti poverty programmes by highlighting structural poverty rather than focusing on a single category like education or highways.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that "The Other America" is a social commentary, not a technical manual or purely economic text. Step 2: Recall that its central message is that beneath the surface of American prosperity, there existed an "other" America of poor people. Step 3: Connect this with the rise of policy debates on poverty and social welfare in the United States. Step 4: Examine the options. Option A states that poverty was widespread in America, which matches the book's main argument. Step 5: Option B, education was lacking, is an important issue but is not the primary focus of the book. Step 6: Option C, racism was widespread, is also a serious problem, but this book is primarily about economic poverty across various groups. Step 7: Option D, the need for more highways, is unrelated to the core theme of this particular text. Step 8: Option E, urbanisation destroying family life, describes other sociological concerns but does not summarise this book. Step 9: Therefore, the correct theme is that poverty was widespread in America.

Verification / Alternative Check:
You can verify this by remembering that many history and political science sources describe "The Other America" as a classic exposé on poverty in the United States. It is often credited with influencing policy makers and debates that led to anti poverty programmes. Summaries of the book consistently emphasise its focus on economic deprivation, rather than on a single issue like education or racism alone. This consistency across references confirms that the central theme is widespread poverty.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Education was lacking in America is too narrow a statement and does not capture the book's broader emphasis on poverty. Racism was widespread in America is true historically, but this book mainly centres on class based poverty affecting many groups. Americans needed more highways is an infrastructure issue, not the subject of this social critique. Urbanisation was destroying family life describes another sociological concern but is not the topic of "The Other America".

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse different famous books about American society and may associate "The Other America" with racism or urban problems because those issues are also widely discussed. Another trap is to treat the title as a vague metaphor without remembering the specific focus on economic poverty. To avoid these mistakes, it helps to link each famous social commentary with one key phrase in memory, such as "The Other America – hidden poverty in rich America".

Final Answer:
The main theme of "The Other America" was that poverty was widespread in America.