The Founding Fathers would likely view today’s debate over SNAP benefits funding sugary drinks as a clash with their core principles of limited government, personal responsibility, and targeted assistance. Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and others emphasized solutions that uplifted the poor through work and self-reliance, not perpetual dependency. Franklin warned that overly generous welfare “makes some men masters and other men slaves,” arguing aid should be temporary and tied to personal effort. Madison viewed charity as outside federal authority, stressing welfare should remain local to prevent abuse and maintain accountability.
Studies show sugary drinks dominate SNAP purchases, despite contributing to obesity and diabetes. The Founders would reject taxpayer-funded programs enabling unhealthy choices, as they believed assistance should strengthen recipients, not harm them. Franklin mocked systems that let the poor “perish in idleness”, while Jefferson condemned policies replacing self-sufficiency with handouts. Their approach centered on:
– : Early American workhouses exchanged aid for labor, reserving free support only for the truly helpless.
– : Communities, not distant bureaucrats, determined who deserved help.
– : Franklin noted welfare without accountability bred laziness, coining the phrase “St. Monday will cease to be a holiday” if aid required effort.
The Founders would likely support modern proposals banning soda from SNAP, seeing it as aligning with their vision of aid promoting health and dignity. However, they’d question the federal government’s role entirely, advocating instead for local charities and churches to manage assistance—methods they believed fostered compassion without taxpayer overreach. As Madison warned, “Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government”.
