The future of Social Security

When F.D. Roosevelt created Social Security more than two generations ago, he did so to protect Americans “against the loss of a job and against poverty-ridden old age.” The system may no longer meet this promise. Is Social Security in crisis?

Who benefits from Social Security?

More than 96 percent of American workers. In fiscal year 2000, some 45.4 million retired and disabled workers and their dependents—widows and widowers, spouses, and children—received $415 billion in benefits. The government estimates that without Social Security, nearly half of all senior citizens would live in poverty. The system has been called “the third rail of American politics” because elected officials touch it at their own risk.

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