Feeding the Poor:Assessing Federal Food Aid

In the midst of the welfare reform revolution, Peter H. Rossi examines five federal programs of food aid: Who benefits? How do people qualify? How is the effectiveness of the programs measured? What is meant by hunger? Does such assistance discourage employment? Are targeted segments actually helped?Examining the history of the plans -- whose annual budgets combine for an estimated $30 billion annually -- the author begins with the New Deal food stamp program, the first model for these five post-World War II plans. He traces the goals, growth, shifts, and benefits of the five programs and concludes with recommendations to fulfill the objectives more effectively.