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Publication Date
5-2024
Date of Final Oral Examination (Defense)
3-4-2024
Type of Culminating Activity
Dissertation - Boise State University Access Only
Degree Title
Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy and Administration
Department Filter
Public Administration
Department
Public Policy and Administration
Supervisory Committee Chair
Chris Birdsall, Ph.D.
Supervisory Committee Member
Jeffrey Lyons, Ph.D.
Supervisory Committee Member
Jen Schneider, Ph.D.
Abstract
Federal regulations give states flexibility to waive hourly work reporting for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) during periods of high unemployment. Unemployment does not fully predict state decisions to waive work reporting in SNAP though and little is known about other factors influencing state decisions. This dissertation uses social construction theory to examine policy changes in SNAP following the Great Recession of 2008. An experimental survey found that public opinion, especially among Republicans, is affected by the social construction of SNAP participants. Survey findings suggest that if policymakers were responsive to constituents, Republican states would be more likely to have work reporting than Democratic states. An event history analysis found that policymakers were responsive to unemployment rates and the social construction of target populations, but not to the policy preferences of Republicans. These findings add to the growing field of research on changing social constructions and administrative burden in policy design, while raising many more questions about the relationship between politics and administration.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.18122/td.2248.boisestate
Recommended Citation
O'Connell, Sasha Mourene, "Benefit of the Doubt: Deservingness, Administrative Burden, and Food Assistance" (2024). Boise State University Theses and Dissertations. 2248.
https://doi.org/10.18122/td.2248.boisestate
