For over 80 years social security has provided Americans with money after they reach the minimum age requirement. This money has provided retirement money for millions of people across the country but is now in jeopardy. To get an understanding of the current and future situation of social security it’s important to understand what social security is, when it was created, why it was created, and also how it has performed since it was created. After getting an understanding of social security I will then talk about the current state of social security including problems with it and the different arguments that are being made about what should be done with social security. The problems and current situation of social security will also be …show more content…
The Social Security program today is not the same one that was created back in 1935. Over time this program has changed and there have been amendments made so that have expanded the program to what it is today. Social Security was not as popular when it was created as it is today and that’s due to the fact that more people have access to the program. As already explained the Social Security program in the United States was created in 1930’s and for anyone who is familiar with the history of the United States then you know that during this period the U.S. experienced a downturn in their economy that is known as the Great Depression. The Social Securities Act was “intended to offer immediate relief to families” (Martin & Weaver, page 1). At this point in time a lot of families were struggling economically and didn’t have a job or any money that they could use to support themselves. Everyone was looking for a way that could catapult the economy out of the downturn and into prosperity. By implementing a program that would bring money to families it allowed for people to have some type of income. Eventually this program with the help of other programs and also other events the United States was able to get out of the Great Depression. The Social Security program as we know it is different than the one that was first created back in 1935 and there has been many changes to the program. Over the
The Social Security system is perhaps the most successful government social insurance program in the nation 's history; and began with the Social Security Act in 1935. Social Security is a needed federal system that encourages income stability to millions of people across the United States. This is accomplished by giving a stable flow of income to replenish lost wages that occur as a result of disability, retirement, or death of a family member. There are about 59 million people in the U.S. that receive Social Security. Most of them are the required 65 years of age or older. Sadly about half of the 59 million people rely solely on Social Security to pay their bills and everyday necessities.
Lastly, the Social Security Act was one of many reform efforts that sprung from the New Deal. This act was an attempt to provide general welfare for women and their children, those with disabilities such as blindness, older individuals, and public health, and helped financially support them while they were looking for work elsewhere. It was most common with elderly individuals, as they received what is known as “old-age pensions.” This was one of the few reforms that has stayed with us since the New Deal, and was economically successful in bringing America out of the Great
In 1930’s the Great Depression triggered a crises in the nation’s economic life. The Great Depression left millions of people unemployed and penniless. People consider leaving their farms behind to work in the cities factories to send money home. But as they grow into their new lifestyles the aging parent would stay behind to keep their dream of landowner ship. The seniors would be left in the hardest times of need living off the land. President Roosevelt’s New Deal was created to help jump-start the economy by providing unemployed workers with jobs and benefits packages for temporary relief. One of the many steps taken to alleviate the burden on the American people was the passing of Social Security Act on August 14, 1935 and its amendments by Congress and the President, Franklin D. Roosevelt.
One of the reforms created through the New Deal that still exists today is Social Security. Social Security was established through the Social Security Act of 1935 by Franklin D. Roosevelt. It established a national pension fund, a public assistance program for dependent mothers and disabled people, an unemployment insurance system, as well as benefits for victims of industrial accidents (Social Security Act of 1935). Social Security is very beneficial regarding its ability to help those who need it, but it is also the largest federal program today, resulting in huge expenses. CNS News published an article regarding the spending of the Social Security Administration, and stated in the article is, “The Social Security Administration spent a total
For many years the social security program has been operating successfully. In recent times however, it is becoming apparent to some that social security is in need of reform. Their argument is that with the amount of people getting older in the next couple of decades, there will not be enough money left in the social security reserves to pay for everyone who needs it. That is why the idea of separating social security up into private funds has been brought to the attention of the American citizens. This idea of reform has been around for quite a long time; however it has been pushed on by pro reform supporters more in recent times because they think it is necessary for the
Debates over Social Security have been ongoing since its inception in 1935 until today. The trend seems to be toward an increasing percentage of the American public, across party and demographic lines, in favor of strengthening Social Security funding, and a willingness to pay more to preserve and even improve benefits. However, the trend towards privatization of Social Security is also on the rise. What is not clear is whether Americans favor privatization because of fears that the Social Security Trust Fund is living on borrowed time.
Social Security is a public program designed to provide income and services to individuals in the event of retirement, sickness, disability, death, or unemployment. In the United States, the word social security refers to the programs established in 1935 under the Social Security Act. Societies throughout history have devised ways to support people who cannot support themselves. In 1937 the government began issuing Social Security identification cards to all citizens. Each card had a unique number that the government used to keep track of a person’s earnings and the taxes collected from those earnings that went to finance Social Security benefits. The Social Security Act is an act in which
The social security system, established by the federal government in 1935; is currently one of the most costly items in the federal budget. The purpose of the system is to provide for Federal old-age benefits, and to enable social insurance and public assistance. The proposal of moving to an entirely new system would give the people living in the United States their own individual authority of controlling their own investments. If social security does not become privatized; the system itself will turn unsustainable, the retired and disabled will not fully receive their earnings; and the people of the United States will continue to have no control over their investments.
There is much-heated debate on the issues of Social Security today. The Social Security system is the largest government program of income distribution in the United States. People are concerned that they won't see a dime of what they worked so hard to contribute into the Social Security system for so many years. Social Security provides benefits to about forty-three million Americans. Not only to retired workers, but also to their spouses and dependents of the workers who die prematurely. It also provides benefits to disabled workers and their dependents. Social Security appears to most people like a simple retirement saving’s account. After all, you generally
Stephen H. Gorin, in the article titled The Truth about Social Security and Medicare (2012), brings issues regarding social security to the surface while emphasizing the issues that reside in this matter. With the current acts of spending, reexamining the framework of the social security system may be for the best. “Social Security Trust Funds will be solvent through 2038; after this, the program will still be able to meet between 77 percent and 81 percent of its obligations” (Gorin, 2012). With this quote from the article, one can easily get a grasp of what issues will soon be arising within the social security system. Misuse of these assets has led citizens to wonder why the fate of their assets remains a mystery. This is lamentable in view of the way that these funds are consequently deducted from
Social security program is a retirement program for Americans aged 65 years and over. This consists of 92% of the entire American populace. Other beneficiaries of the program include the disabled, unemployed and aged but the government must have a record to ascertain that only those that are in need qualify to obtain the benefits. About 47 million Americans that fall under this bracket collect monthly benefits. On August 14, 1935, President Roosevelt signed a law that led to establishment of this program. This program serves older adults in various ways, for instance it offers long-term care, social services and provide income support for them. In addition to establishment of this program, the new Act also created a social insurance program to cater for retired group of employees aged 65 years and above entitled to receive income after retirement period (Jie & Junsen, 2004).
The words "Social Security" have been heard by many whether it be from the news, grandparents, school, or personal experience. Social Security is a United States program that aims to help older or disabled persons and the families of older, disabled, and deceased persons (SSA, 2005). Franklin D. Roosevelt was the president who enacted the Social Security Act in 1935, however taxes were not collected until two years afterwards and periodic monthly benefits did not start up until 1940. Social Security was intended to be a retirement program when it was first passed into law in the year 1935. The reason that the program was first aimed to help older Americans is because of the worry that the post Great Depression era had for them. The program
The Social Security system has long been a program to help ensure the “American Dream”. It guarantees that our elderly and poor are taken care of in retirement and that the younger generation has financial assistance in supporting their family. Despite other controversial welfare/redistribution programs, Social Security is very popular among the majority of Americans and does not face significant opposition from the wealthiest who put more into the system than they get back. This does not mean that the program is free of issues as its solvency has been a leading issue American politics for some time now. Many partisans have advocated for either raising taxes on the wealthy or cutting benefits to fix these issues but nothing has been mutually agreed upon. As the Trust Fund continues to evaporate, a balanced solution becomes more necessary to the long term survival of the program.
Social Security is one of America’s most successful government programs, and has helped millions of Americans avoid poverty. Congress passed the Social Security Act in 1935 and the retirement benefits program went into effect on January 1, 1937. Social Security issued its first monthly retirement benefits check to Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, Vermont on January 31, 1940 in the amount of $22.54. Miss Fuller, a Legal Secretary, retired in November 1939. She started collecting benefits at the age 65 and lived to be 100 years old, dying in 1975. Miss Fuller worked for three years under the Social Security program, the accumulated taxes on her salary during those three years was a total of $24.75. During her lifetime she
Social Security has been a cornerstone for American citizens since the 1930’s. In 1935 President Roosevelt proposed the Social Security ACT and Congress passed it. The Social Security programs were designed to protect individuals and families from loss of income due to circumstance such as old age, disability, unemployment, or death of the wage earner. Most Americans believe that in the future there will not be any government benefits from the Social Security System. A majority of the citizens feel that if they have worked for numerous years and paid taxes, they should receive some assistance when they retire. The society going into an economic crisis with the Social Security Program, so the federal government is increasing the retirement