Total expenditures on means-tested public programs other than Medicaid in constant dollars, divided by the country’s total population.
Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality, using the data underlying each of the indicators listed in the methodological notes.
“Means-tested programs” are programs for which only people with income or assets below some threshold are eligible. The measure is constructed by summing the following indicators:
Expenditures per Capita on Supplemental Security Income
Expenditures per Capita on AFDC/TANF
Expenditures per Capita on the Federal EITC
Expenditures per Capita on Food Stamps/SNAP
Expenditures per Capita on Housing Aid
Expenditures per Capita on School Food Programs
Expenditures per Capita on the WIC Program
Expenditures per Capita on Head Start