In this paper I investigate the degree to which determinants of participation in an American welfare program operate differentially throughout the country to create disparities in program use. A spatially expanded model is specified to examine areal variations in the use of the US Food Stamp Program. The regionally varying response of Program participation to conditions of economic need and the presence of minorities appears to reflect different degrees of urbanism among sections of the country. Regional variations in the response of Program participation to benefit levels appear to be a result of different intergovernmental arrangements between the federal government and state welfare agencies. The often-made assumption of spatial stability in the influence of welfare determinants is not justified, given the regional complexities within which the welfare system operates in the United States of America.
Food Stamp Participation Among Adult-Only Households
