In this paper, I empirically test the notion that the degree of inclusion/exclusion of social welfare policies can have important feedback effects on political participation of poor citizens. I conduct a comparative analysis of the 50 US states, using the uptake (or coverage rate) of the Food Stamp program as an indicator of relative inclusiveness. If the inclusiveness of the program “sends a m...

A growing economics literature establishes a causal link between in utero shocks and health and human capital in adulthood. Most studies rely on extreme negative shocks such as famine and pandemics. We are the first to examine the impact of a positive and policy-driven change in economic resources available in utero and during childhood. In particular, we focus on the introduction of a key elem...

OBJECTIVE To estimate the lifetime risk that an American child will reside in a household receiving food stamps and, as a result, will encounter poverty and a heightened exposure to food insecurity. DESIGN Thirty years of longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics survey data set. SETTING Nationally representative sample of the US population. PARTICIPANTS Approximately 90 0...

Food assistance programs play an important role in meeting the basic needs of lowincome households. This paper examines the interaction among food stamps, labor force participation, and food insecurity status of low-income households under different program designs and economic conditions. A simultaneous equation model with three probit equations links the programs, workforce participation, and...

D U R I N G T H E 4 YEARS of its operation, the food stamp plan, administered by the Food Distribution Administration of the U . S. Department of Agriculture, enabled large numbers of families throughout the United States to improve their diets. Although the plan was established in May 1939, at a time of food surpluses, primarily to increase agricultural income by increasing the demand for surp...

In North Carolina, welfare programs are state supervised and county administered. To properly manage welfare programs in such an environment, efficient timely communication of a comprehensive set of data analysis customized to each county is required between the state and the 100 counties in North Carolina. Consequently a dynamic website that tracks the experiences of families and individuals o...