Understanding SNAP’s Reach and Impact: Evidence from Households, School Programs, and Markets

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

This panel brings together scholars from different disciplines to offer a multidimensional analysis of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and its intersections with other food assistance programs. Drawing on diverse methodological tools and disciplinary frameworks, the panelists examine the design, implementation, and outcomes of SNAP in the context of broader policy goals, including food security, economic equity, and administrative efficiency.

The first paper investigates the spatial and demographic alignment between SNAP and school meal programs, identifying opportunities to streamline services for low-income families with children. The second paper evaluates the effects of SNAP Emergency Allotment (EA) expiration on food insufficiency among households with children, highlighting vulnerable subgroups disproportionately affected by benefit cuts. The third paper explores unintended price effects of the P-EBT program on both recipients and non-recipients, showing how transfer payments can reshape local market dynamics. The fourth paper leverages user-generated content on Reddit to uncover the lived experience of SNAP applicants and beneficiaries, offering real-time insights into administrative burdens and procedural challenges.

Collectively, these papers reflect the evolving nature of U.S. food assistance policy as it brings together frontline delivery, economic behavior, and digital data converging, highlighting the urgent need for integrated, equity-focused program design. By centering families’ experiences, especially those with children, the panel illuminates how program fragmentation, policy shifts, and bureaucratic processes shape material outcomes for low-income households.

Policy Area

• Poverty and Income Policy

Secondary Policy Area

• Politics, Media, and the Policy Process

Chair

• Colleen M Heflin, Syracuse University

Discussants

• Ellyn Terry, University of Washington

• Liwei Zhang, The University of Georgia

Organizer

• Elora Choudhury, University of Michigan Ann Arbor

Individual Presentations

• Enhancing Coordination Between SNAP and School Meal Programs for K-12 Student Households - Presenting Author: Elora Choudhury, University of Michigan Ann Arbor

• Food Insufficiency After SNAP Emergency Allotment Expiration: Evidence from Households with Children - Presenting Author: Ruijie Ma, University of Pittsburgh

• Understanding Administrative Burdens and Experiences of Social Program Beneficiaries and Applicants Using Posts on Reddit - Presenting Author: Michiko Ueda, Syracuse University; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Colleen M Heflin, Syracuse University

• From Storefronts to Screens: The Impacts of Online Grocery Shopping on Public Food Assistance Users - Presenting Author: Kelsey Pukelis, Harvard University