Premium
When States Align Social Welfare Programs: Considering the Child Support Income Exclusion for SNAP
Author(s) -
Heflin Colleen M.,
Lopoo Leonard M.,
MackenzieLiu Mattie
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
social science quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.482
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1540-6237
pISSN - 0038-4941
DOI - 10.1111/ssqu.12864
Subject(s) - receipt , public economics , revenue , welfare , social welfare , social exclusion , state (computer science) , aid to families with dependent children , demographic economics , income support , supplemental nutrition assistance program , social policy , economics , business , welfare reform , economic growth , political science , finance , accounting , geography , algorithm , computer science , law , market economy , macroeconomics , agriculture , archaeology , food insecurity , food security
Objective In the United States, state social services rarely coordinate across departments, a practice that could both increase receipt and reduce administrative burden. The purpose of this article is to investigate the state‐level conditions associated with the adoption of policies that benefit participants in multiple social welfare programs, focusing on the case of the child support income exclusion for SNAP benefit eligibility calculations. Methods Using annual data for each of the states (including the District of Columbia), we estimate multiple analyses to test three hypotheses regarding which factors are associated with policy adoption. Results We find that collaboration across social programs is more likely as state income tax revenues increase and when administrative costs are lower. Conclusions Our findings suggest that state revenue and administrative costs are associated with state interagency alignment but find only weak evidence that political ideology is a factor.