Social safety net programs were designed to help poorer members of society meet their basic needs. The model in the United States was expanded by President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty, which focused on prevention. The president’s administration hoped to... More »
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is the largest and most impactful anti-hunger program in the United States. The program targets low-income households, as eligibility is based only on household inco... More »
Decades of innovative education reform have focused on how to improve schools, yet academic success is about more than just classrooms and teachers. One factor that may affect student achievement is food stability; researchers and policymakers are asking how a... More »
Policymakers use tax penalties and incentives as a mechanism to modify the public’s behavior. Cigarette taxes are one of the most obvious examples of such a policy. As a matter of public health, society would be better off if fewer people smoked cigarettes—rai... More »
Sophie Milam with Feeding America discusses the current state of food insecurity in the United States and the impact of new farm bill legislation on food assistance programs. More »
New research estimates the growth of families living in extreme poverty from 1996 to 2011 is 159 percent, and the authors argue that welfare reform is largely to blame. More »
Researchers take advantage of early randomized experiments to analyze the impact of workforce participation requirements and time limits on participants’ health. More »
Researchers find positive effects on health and economic self-sufficiency decades after initial exposure to the largest US hunger safety net program. More »