Why SNAP Works

A Political History—and Defense—of the Food Stamp Program

Christopher John Bosso, Christopher Bosso

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN: 9780520392816
• eBook ISBN: 9780520392823
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Agricultural Public Policy
• Index: Politics & International Relations

The first book to tell the whole story of SNAP and to explain why all Americans should support it. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is the nation's largest government effort for helping low-income Americans obtain an adequate diet. How did SNAP, formerly thefood stamp program, evolve from a Depression-era project to use up surplus goods into America's foundational food assistance program? And how does SNAP survive? Incisive and original, Why SNAP Works is the first book to provide a comprehensive history and evaluation of the nation's most important food insecurity and poverty alleviation effort. Everyone has an opinion about SNAP, not all of them positive, but its benefits are felt broadly and across party lines. Christopher Bosso makes a clear, nuanced, and impassioned case for protecting this unique food program, exploring its history and breaking down the facts for readers across the political spectrum. Why SNAP Works is an essential book for anyone concerned about food access, poverty, and social welfare in the United States.

Table of contents

• Imprint
• Subvention
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of Figures
• Acknowledgments
• 1.  Tales at the Intersection of Want and Plenty
• 2.  “To Encourage Domestic Consumption”
• 3.  The Paradox Anew
• 4.  Farm Programs + Food Programs
• 5.  Welfare Politics
• 6.  Let Us Now Praise the Food Stamp Plan
• Appendix: Table 1. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation and costs, 1961–2022
• Chronology: Key Moments in Food Stamps and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
• Notes
• Suggested Reading
• Index