SNAP Policy A Policy to Grapple with Food Insecurity in the United States

Abstract

Every month, 35 million Americans struggle with food insecurity and receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) benefits (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2019). SNAP has a vibrant history and has made a tremendous impact on the lives of Americans. Not only does the policy help address hunger in the United States, it also impacts the American economy. For every billion dollars invested, the gross domestic product of the United States increases by 1.5 billion dollars (Nestle, 2019). SNAP has many strengths in its eligibility and benefits as it offers a clear-cut approach to food insecurity with its specific poverty classifications. It also offers flexibility with the usage of the Link Card to buy and purchase groceries (Gunderson, 2019). Additionally, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act offers alterations to the policy to address COVID-19 concerns (Poole et al., 2021). While the policy has made a significant impact on hunger in the United States, there are several ways that SNAP could be improved to expand its impact on Americans and represent a more equitable policy.