Final answer:
In recent years, the U.S. poverty rate has been around 15 percent of the population, with current figures being slightly below this level.
Step-by-step explanation:
The share of the U.S. population officially counted as poor, as per the provided figures, fluctuated over time. However, the poverty rate has not been less than 11% in the last four decades. Specifically, in 2011, the U.S. poverty rate peaked at 15.9% before dropping slightly to 14.5% in 2013. Therefore, the closest answer to the student's question would be that, historically, the poverty rate has been around or below 15 percent, with recent years showing a rate slightly below this level. Answer choice (c) 15 percent most accurately reflects the historical data. 15 percent would therefore be the answer to the question: What share of the U.S. population is officially counted as poor?