Mises Institute

Food Stamps and the Federal War on Self-Reliance

Nov 13, 2025
In this discussion, James Bovard, a prominent libertarian author and journalist, delves into the intricate evolution of the food stamp program. He critiques how politicians have exploited dependency to expand federal control. Bovard reveals the historical context, from Nixon's ambitious food aid initiatives to modern outreach strategies targeting reluctant recipients. He highlights the dangers of increased enrollment statistics in justifying government intervention, ultimately advocating for reducing reliance on federal assistance to curb governmental overreach.
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INSIGHT

Shutdown Hype Overstates Starvation Risk

  • Media exaggerated the impact of the shutdown on 42 million food stamp recipients.
  • Many states, leftover EBT balances, and charities blunted the harm during the interruption.
INSIGHT

Dependency As A Political Strategy

  • Politicians expanded federal food aid to grow dependency and political power.
  • This created incentives to multiply recipients rather than solve root causes of poverty.
ANECDOTE

Nixon's 1969 Expansion Example

  • In 1969 Nixon publicly expanded food handouts to burnish his humanitarian image.
  • Food stamp rolls grew from 3 million then to a program costing about $100 billion today.
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