Decisions that matter: State Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program policy restrictiveness limits SNAP participation rate

Kara Newby and Xi Chen

Social Science Quarterly, 2022, vol. 103, issue 4, 868-882

Abstract: Objective The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) offers free benefits to qualifying individuals, but participation varies greatly from state to state. We explore the impact of SNAP administration policies, political factors, and socio‐demographic characteristics to explain this variation. Method We utilize a policy index that aggregates the effect of 10 SNAP administrative policies to evaluate the effects of policies over time on state SNAP participation rates. Results Less restrictive administrative policies are associated with increases in SNAP participation. Additionally, the unified Democratic control of state government, poverty, and unemployment all increase SNAP participation. Conclusion Differences in SNAP state participation rates are not spurious. More restrictive administrative policies lower participation. Thus, SNAP policies are not purely “administrative” decisions; they can either work to encourage or discourage participation in the program.

Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.13158

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:socsci:v:103:y:2022:i:4:p:868-882

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.blackwell ... bs.asp?ref=0038-4941

Access Statistics for this article

Social Science Quarterly is currently edited by Robert L. Lineberry

More articles in Social Science Quarterly from Southwestern Social Science Association
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().