American Political Engagement: Does Food Assistance Affect Political Participation?

Authors

Maya Patterson, Illinois Wesleyan UniversityFollow

Abstract

This research paper examines the role of how program participation in food access programs influences political participation in the US, specifically “Does program participation in food access programs, such as receiving benefits from SNAP or WIC, influence political participation?” Using a self-reported, weighted 2017 survey of Rural America, this study demonstrates how people receiving food benefits within the last year affect their political participation, specifically how they voted in the 2016 presidential election. This survey was collected by the Roper Center's iPOLL databank, after searching for questions about receiving food assistance. By focusing on the last decade, this research paper demonstrates how receiving food benefits currently affects people’s political participation. However, data analysis shows that there was no impact on voting or political engagement found by the correlation between voting and receiving benefits in the survey used using logistic regression.

Recommended Citation

Patterson, Maya (2024) "American Political Engagement: Does Food Assistance Affect Political Participation?," Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 29
Available at: https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/respublica/vol29/iss1/8