While positive eugenics highlighted the achievements of "fit" families, negative eugenics focused on "unfit" families who were burdened with degenerate traits such as feeblemindedness, alcoholism, pauperism, and criminality. Pedigrees of poor, rural families - with fictitious names like the Jukes, the Kallikaks, the Nams, and the Ishmaelites - appeared to show genetic deterioration over time (cacogenics). American eugenicists dismissed any environmental contribution to their plight - such as poor housing, nutrition, or schools and placed the blame directly on bad genes. (DNAi location: Chronicle > Threat of the Unfit > The fit and unfit)

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