COSM’s commentary page is home to timely analysis of pressing topics.
Recent Contributions
By Angela Rachidi
A SNAP Reform Framework Focused on the Future
October 30, 2024
SNAP is failing to accomplish many of its core goals. A recently released framework offers policymakers several solutions to SNAP’s shortcomings, including reforms that would improve recipients’ health and employment outcomes while also upholding the integrity of the program.
By Angela Rachidi and Thomas O'Rourke
Food Insecurity Increases Driven by Middle- and High-Income Households
September 27, 2024
The latest increase in food insecurity is driven by middle- and high-income households – raising questions about the validity of the measure.
By Angela Rachidi and Craig Gundersen
Household Food Insecurity Rises Again – Inflation, especially for households ineligible for safety net programs, to blame
September 24, 2024
The recent uptick in the food insecurity rate–measuring the share of Americans who have limited or uncertain access to adequate food–increased yet again in 2023, and inflation is largely to blame.
by Kevin Corinth
Government benefit programs already do a lot to help low income families
September 19, 2024
Before deciding whether to expand the child tax credit and by how much, policymakers should be aware of existing tax and transfer policies that already provide a substantial amount of support for low-income families.
By Angela Rachidi and Matt Weidinger
Some Context Behind JD Vance’s Child Tax Credit Comments
August 28, 2024
Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance’s latest comments around expanding the child tax credit implies that he will be willing to do away with core features of the program including removing the earnings requirement.
By Richard V. Reeves and Scott Winship
Two Cheers for Shrinking Black-White Opportunity Gaps
July 26, 2024
A recently published paper finds that racial gaps in the persistence of poverty have narrowed, but black children’s economic prospects remain depressed.
By Angela Rachidi and Thomas O'Rourke
Exploring Trends in Food Bank Use
July 11, 2024
Contrary to many reports, the share of Americans relying on charitable food assistance has held constant over the past several years.
By Angela Rachidi and Thomas O'Rourke
USDA Report Highlights Subjectivity of Food Insecurity Measure
May 8, 2024
A recent report from the USDA shows that food insecurity varies significantly by race and ethnicity, even after controlling for income and education–raising questions about the subjectivity of the food insecurity measure itself.
By Angela Rachidi and Thomas O'Rourke
Sugary Beverage Consumption Among SNAP Recipients
March 21, 2024
SNAP households consume a disproportionate amount of sugary beverages compared to other low-income households. Nutrition assistance policies should better support low-income Americans health by disallowing the use of SNAP benefits on sodas.
By Angela Rachidi and Matt Weidinger
How Many Forms of “Wage Insurance” Do We Need, Exactly?
March 11, 2024
Although advocates of a recent CTC reform proposal tout its aid to families with a temporary drop in income, the safety net already includes several overlapping programs that provide such assistance.
By Kevin Corinth
Social conservatives who care about marriage should think twice about a “per-child” refundable Child Tax Credit
March 4, 2024
If social conservatives want to encourage marriage, they should focus on increasing the maximum CTC benefit rather than increasing the CTC’s phase-in for families with multiple children.
By Angela Rachidi
ADDRESSING THE FALSE CLAIMS FROM INDUSTRY GROUPS ON PILOT TESTING SNAP RESTRICTIONS
February 29, 2024
Despite pleadings from industry leaders, recent efforts to make unhealthy foods ineligible for SNAP would benefit low-income households.
By Kevin Corinth, Leslie Ford, Angela Rachidi, Matt Weidinger, and Scott Winship
Options for Improving the Child Tax Credit Provisions in H.R. 7024, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024
February 27, 2024
Policymakers concerned about deficits and ensuring the safety net promotes independence should reject the bill and focus their attention on the bigger tax reform debate over the horizon in 2025.
By W. Bradford Wilcox and Michael Pugh
Marriage is Key to Living Your Best Life
February 16, 2024
Marriage is a social tie that binds us to one another and gives us purpose. In the absence of ties like marriage and family, too many of us will find ourselves in a lonely world, bereft of meaning, prosperity, and happiness.
By Matt Weidinger and Angela Rachidi
CTC EXPANSION ROOTED IN DESIRE TO ROLL BACK WORK-BASED WELFARE
February 8, 2024
Proposed expansions to the Child Tax Credit would increase federal outlays, not cut taxes for working parents.
By Scott Winship
ANOTHER FLAWED ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT SINGLE MOTHERS ARE HIGHLY SENSITIVE TO CHANGES IN WORK INCENTIVES
February 8, 2024
After correcting for erroneous calculations, the existing research is in agreement: single mothers are highly responsive to changes in work incentives.
By Angela Rachidi and Thomas O'Rourke
Solving Benefit Cliffs in SNAP
February 7, 2024
Despite phasing out like many other safety net programs, high benefit levels and several income deductions result in large benefit cliffs for SNAP recipients.
By Scott Winship
RESEARCH BY A TOP BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ECONOMIST REINFORCES THE IMPORTANCE OF WORK INCENTIVES IN THE CHILD TAX CREDIT AND THE SAFETY NET
February 6, 2024
Some economists have disputed research suggesting significant employment disincentives associated with the Child Tax Credit, deeming it inaccurate and implausible. However, upon reevaluation of those findings, these arguments actually align with the anticipated outcome.
By Kevin Corinth and Scott Winship
The Wyden-Smith Child Tax Credit and Work: Responding to Critics
January 31, 2024
Despite misinterpretations of a recently published analysis of the Wyden-Smith tax bill, reforms to the Child Tax Credit will disincentive many parents from working.
By Kevin Corinth and Scott Winship
HOW SENSITIVE ARE SINGLE MOTHERS’ WORK DECISIONS TO A CHANGE IN INCENTIVES? CORRECTING MISPERCEPTIONS OF THE EVIDENCE
January 30, 2024
Despite being described as outliers, the employment elasticities used in a recent analysis assessing the impact of the Smith-Wyden tax bill on labor supply align with nearly all existing research.
By Scott Winship
HAS INEQUALITY MADE AMERICANS POORER THAN BULGARIANS, RUSSIANS, AND FILIPINOS?
December 11, 2023
A recent column claiming that America has higher levels of extreme poverty than other nations is based on flawed data.
By Scott Winship
DO 60 PERCENT OF AMERICAN WORKERS HAVE INSECURE JOBS?
October 5, 2023
American Compass has a new survey out in which it finds, among other results, that “only 40 percent of workers have secure jobs.” This is the latest attempt by the outfit to portray the American economy as in dire need of “rebuilding.” The report summarizing the findings is titled, “Labor Market Not Yet Working for Workers.” Like American Compass’s previous attempts at empirical analysis, this one is far too doomerist.
By Kevin Corinth
CHANGING THE OFFICIAL POVERTY MEASURE WOULD HELP RICH STATES AND HURT POOR STATES
October 5, 2023
Declaring the Supplemental Poverty Measure the new official measure would increase eligibility for major means-test programs in higher income states while remaining largely unchanged in lower income states. Federal aid would also be reallocated from higher income states to lower incomes states. Congress should therefore preempt the Administration from changing the official poverty measure.
By Matt Weidinger and Scott Winship
Putting This Year’s Poverty Numbers in Context
September 15, 2023
On Tuesday, the Census Bureau released its latest income and poverty estimates covering calendar year 2022, including two assessments of poverty in America.
By Scott Winship and Thomas O'Rourke
Working from Home Has Increased More Modestly Than Many Believe
September 6, 2023
Many of the most widely-cited work-from-home researchers find that working from home has increased by a factor of 8 between 2019 and 2020, we find that it rose by a factor of 3–more than 60 percent lower.
By Matt Weidinger
Another Pandemic Legacy: Removing the EITC’s Work and Earnings Requirement
August 3, 2023
Overall, between 1975 and 2022, the EITC cost taxpayers a total of $1.8 trillion, which includes both tax relief ($212 billion) as well as its far larger benefit payments ($1.6 trillion) that exceed recipients’ federal income taxes paid, confusingly dubbed “refundable tax credits.” But despite that history of generous and growing support for work, some liberal policymakers are now proposing to pay EITC checks even for years when adults don’t work, fundamentally altering the nature of this pro-work program.
By Leslie Ford
The Debt Ceiling Deal Refocuses TANF on Employment and Self-Sufficiency
July 17, 2023
While the safety net can deliver on its promise to alleviate material deprivation, the long-term goal should be for all parents and their children to break out of the cycle of dependence and poverty through self-support and social mobility.
