New census data show that Americans’ real household income declined in 2011 for the second year in a row, and 46 million people, more than ever before, are on food stamps. That’s almost 15 percent, almost one in seven. In the District of Columbia, nearly 23 percent of residents are on food stamps.

Coupled with an unending stream of poor economic data from unemployment to economic growth, it’s not surprising that more people are on food stamps. But some of the increase can be explained by another factor: evolving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program rules that expand eligibility and increase benefits to ever more Americans.