Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 April 2015
The Food Stamp Program (FSP) began in 1939 on a limited basis. In 1961, President Kennedy created an experimental Food Stamp Program that became nationwide after enactment of the Food Stamp Act of 1964. The two main purposes of the FSP are to improve the nutritional status of low income families and to support farm income by increasing food demand. The cost of the FSP rose from $1.8 billion in 1972, to $6.9 billion in 1979. This dramatic increase has motivated a considerable research effort to evaluate the program. This research can be classified into three broad categories (that are not necessarily mutually exclusive).