This task force first recommended making participation in the Food Stamp program optional for state governments. And clinics in poorer areas of the country were beginning to report outbreaks of malnutrition diseases normally found only in the Third World. Liberals in the 1980s advocated measures to increase Food Stamp benefits. They urged simplifying the application process, increasing allotments, and raising the ceiling on income for eligibility. They had little success.
Some conservatives argue against the entire idea of government subsidies for the poor and hungry.
They believe that such subsidies only encourage bad decision-making on the part of the recipients. Many critics have argued that federal food programs should be taken over by the states. They claim that the closer the program is to the recipients, the more flexible, responsive, and efficient it is. This is a theory that is yet to be put to the test on a large scale, however. Supporters of federal control argue that uniform benefits and eligibility standards set by the federal government are necessary to insure that all Americans are treated fairly.