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Social Security Goals

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===The goals of the Social Security program is to bring monetary assistance to specific and certain groups such as the elderly, disabled and widows. The goals of the social security program, as stated in their government page are, “to keep American families from becoming destitute--in health or in the essentials of life. We do not want a program which, alone, would enable anybody to live in luxury; but we do want a program that will assure every family in the Nation enough to live on in times of adversity.” (ssa.gov) To learn about one of America’s most successful program it is important as a reader to know that this program has been around for 80 years, since August 14, 1935 when President Franklin Roosevelt signed and made Social Security …show more content…

When they at some point reached their retirement age they were not able to relax and have leisure time, because economically they were not stable, contrary to retirees now less than 10 percent of the elderly population, widows and disables are living in poverty a big step compared to 80 years ago (Senator Bernie Sanders) The elderly in specific are benefited not only from the social security but Medicare as well another succesfull welfare program in the United States. The reason as to why the Social security program has been so successful is primarily because of all the benefits that it brings to its beneficiaries as stated in Chapter 17 “many people call the social security the most effective antipoverty program in the United States.” Another reason as to why the social security program is one of America’s most successful program in the United States is because it primary benefits one of America’s largest group, the elderly. This is important not just economically but politically, “The size of this group is of great political importance because the rates of voters turnout are greater among the elderly than among the rest of the population” (We The …show more content…

Organizations such as the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) have a very big influence among the elderly and the policy making that takes place. The reason as to why this is a strength is solely because when the AARP steps in for the elderly they are not only representing the elderly which are their primary goal but the disable and widows, two other groups of people that highly benefit from the social security program. As you where able to learn during the course, primarily in chapter 17 Social Policy, the AARP “pays close attention, when congress considers changes in programs that affect the elderly.” (We The People) These organizations devote their time and strengths in order to defend the Social Security Program; many times it was the AARP that stopped reforms from happening and affecting the Social Security Program such as in times like 2005 and 2009 when the AARP was either against or for health reforms being added into the Social Security Program. The weaknesses of the Social Security program could primarily be that economically the Social Security Program in several occasions was at risk of financially collapsing ( Peter Ferrara) If the Social Security Program were ever to fail this would mean thousand of beneficiaries would run the risk of not having any financial sustainability. In Peter Ferrera’s article, “The Future of Social Security” as

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