Food for Impoverished Americans: A Right or a Gift?

Abstract

This paper explores US federal hunger policy in the period from 1960 to present day. First, I provide a historical perspective, examining the growth of federal nutrition assistance in the 1960s and 1970s, subsequent cutbacks in entitlements in the 1980s and 1990s and the rise of private support through charitable anti-hunger organizations. I look at the drawbacks of current nutrition support programs that address the symptoms of domestic hunger without focusing on root causes. Finally, I explore a concept that is gaining traction in the international community as an anti-hunger methodology: the idea of addressing hunger as a human rights issue. I argue that applying a human rights framework to domestic hunger would bring elements of prioritization and accountability that are lacking in current US approaches to domestic hunger relief.