Abstract
Building on the literature review outlined in a previous publication (A Review of the Existing Research on Food Insecurity, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and State-Level Variation), this paper aims to summarize the key factors contributing to food insecurity, the outcomes involved, as well as the efficacy and shortcomings of food assistance programs in alleviating food insecurity. Additionally, the baseline statistical analysis is detailed; simple linear regression is utilized to detect the direction and magnitude of state-level food insecurity rate trends across predefined time periods, revealing a consistent pre-2018 decline followed by a post-2021 reversal across all observed state groups.