Participation in Social Programs by Consumers and Companies: A Nationwide Analysis of Participation Rates for Telephone Lifeline Programs
Public Finance Review, Vol. 35, No. 5, pp. 606-625
36 Pages Posted: 6 Feb 2007 Last revised: 20 Dec 2008
Date Written: 2007
Abstract
We examine a unique public assistance program, the Lifeline Program, to consider why people do not participate in a program that provides them with financial benefits. Lifeline is a nationwide program created by the Federal Communications Commission to provide price discounts to low-income telephone subscribers. Recently there has been concern that program participation rates are low and that there is great variation in participation across states. Using state-level panel data, we consider reasons Lifeline participation varies among states and why only approximately one third of eligible households nationwide enroll in the program. We find that participation is actually closely aligned with what is predicted given state characteristics when we control for socio-economic and demographic characteristics. We also find that in addition to the demographic factors affecting participation, telecommunications companies appear to affect Lifeline participation rates.
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?
Recommended Papers
-
By Lynne Holt and Mark A Jamison
-
Re-Evaluating FCC Policies Concerning the Lifeline & Link-Up Programs
By Lynne Holt and Mark A Jamison
-
Re-Evaluating FCC Policies Concerning the Lifeline and Link-Up Programs
By Lynne Holt
-
By Janice Alane Hauge, Mark A Jamison, ...
-
Motivations Behind Low-Income Households' Bypass of Support for Universal Service
By Justin Brown and Mark A Jamison
-
By Janice Alane Hauge, Eric P. Chiang, ...
-
Effects of Using Specific versus General Data in Social Program Research
By Janice Alane Hauge and Mark A Jamison
-
More than a Lifeline: Low-Income Households’ Telecommunications Preferences
By Janice Alane Hauge, Eric P. Chiang, ...
-
Universal Service Subsidies and Cost Overstatement: Evidence from the U.S. Telecommunications Sector
By Sanford V. Berg, Liangliang Jiang, ...
-
Challenges Affecting Broadband’s Contributions to U.S. Economic Growth
By Lynne Holt and Mark A Jamison