In October's release of the monthly Food Demand Survey (FooDS), I mentioned that we asked a few questions about preferences for changes in the food stamp program being batted around in ongoing debates about the farm bill.
I discuss the results in detail in a post over at farmdocdaily: http://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2013/10/public-opinion-about-food-stamp-program.html
Here is what I had to say there:
Uncertainties surrounding the future of farm policy remainAs I mentioned there, it is important to recognize that public opinion does not necessarily equate with economically efficient policies, nevertheless, it is important to know what the public thinks.
but these results provide some insights into which policies are likely to be
most popular in public opinion. Although
there is little support for large cuts in benefits, moderate cuts are more
palatable. Moreover, there are issues
such as adding work requirements, reducing the length of participation, and
maintaining eligibility rules that have budgetary implications and that are
popular in public opinion. While the
House decision to decouple farm programs from SNAP may ultimately cause a break
down in the urban-rural political collation that has held together the farm
bill for decades, it is a move that the vast majority of
Americans support.
Here are the main results from the survey.
