Understanding the Determinants of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation

Excerpts from the Executive Summary: This project was initially conceived, in Burstein et al. (2005), as a benchmark or springboard for further research on participation. The expectation was that it would produce an econometric model that is qualitatively similar to those that have been previously published. Instead, it became clear that available findings from the ethnographic literature can be used to generate hypotheses about participation and more robust econometric models. The current study has three components: 1. Existing literature review: A review of available research on the determinants of SNAP participation among different types of households. 2. Participation model development: An analysis of data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation to identify factors that contribute to a household’s decision to participate or not to participate in SNAP. 3. Model assessment and recommendations: An assessment of the “best” participation model, synthesizing findings from the literature review and model assessment, and recommendations for future research.