Law Commons^™

The Unfortunate Role Of Farm Subsidies As A Stimulus For Inequality And Obesity, Neil M. Browne, Facundo Bouzat, Justin Rex, Joseph Seipel

Economics Faculty Publications

Governmental expenditures are directed at a particular objective, but their effects have consequences far beyond the named target of the expenditures. Specific farm subsidies, for example, encourage consumption of particular foods by reducing the costs of producing these foods. To what extent do these subsidies affect the American obesity epidemic? How do the subsidies create disparate negative effects on those in poverty? Exploring these questions stimulates us to take greater care when designing legislation to take a broader look at the stakeholders affected by any particular governmental expenditure.