USING COUNTY-LEVEL DATA TO STUDY THE RACE AND ETHNICITY OF FOOD STAMP PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS IN CALIFORNIA

This paper uses county-level administrative data from California to investigate Food Stamp Program participation patterns for several race and ethnicity categories. Some policy relevant questions are: 1) How does the Food Stamp Program's coverage differ by race and ethnicity? 2) How do changes in the caseload over time differ by race and ethnicity? and 3) How important are county-level data for understanding the association between economic conditions and program participation patterns for different race and ethnicity groups?