Balancing the Dual Policy Goals of the Social Safety Net: A Guide for State Policymakers

This paper presents the “Social Safety Net Analytical Framework for Policymakers” (SSNAFP)—a nonpartisan analytical framework for evaluating social safety net policy changes. This paper also provides an example of how the framework can be used. SSNAFP aims to help policymakers balance two key goals: promoting economic growth and supporting economically vulnerable populations. SSNAFP explains what specific factors to consider related to each goal and provides a set of related research questions to tackle. Using SSNAFP, I provide an example of a bipartisan commission of state policymakers evaluating the effects of increasing the SNAP gross income eligibility threshold from 130% to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Overall, this paper aims to empower state policymakers with a structured approach for analyzing changes to social safety net policies. By focusing on shared objectives rather than political divides, SSNAFP aims to foster informed, bipartisan discussions.