During the height of the 2007 – 2009 recession, the national U.S. unemployment rate reached above 10%. The rates of joblessness and under-employment during the recession influenced the rate of poverty within the United States, contributing to 6.3% of Americans living below the poverty line in 2009 (Gould, 2010). Most at risk of unemployment are younger, less educated and minority male workers who also have a lower probability of returning to work after having been unemployed (Newman 2008).  Using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation from 2008 - 2011, this study quantitatively examines how Americans accessed governmental programmatic resources including Unemployment Insurance, Supplemental Security Income and Stimulus Funding during and post-recession.  It is important to examine how political, demographic and social pressures influence an increased demand by Americans for social welfare and economic resources on the state during times of economic decline.