Analysis Of Expanding Social Security Spending

625 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effects of the aging population in the us

Expanding Social Security Spending In recent decades, entitlement programs have constituted a substantial portion of the United States federal budget. Social Security is the largest entitlement program in the United States. In 2013, the total Social Security expenditures were $1.3 trillion, 8.4% of the $16.3 trillion GNP (SSA.gov). There has been an issue in the White House of either opposing the cut in Social Security spending or advocating for a hike in payments. Expanding Social Security instead of reducing it would benefit seniors, especially considering America’s struggling middle class and that there are more impoverished people than ever before. Despite the retirement income crisis, Social Security should be expanded, not reduced. In Arthur Delaney’s article on the Huffington Post, Senator Bernie Sanders stated, “With the middle class struggling and more people living in poverty than ever before, we cannot afford to make life even more difficult for seniors.” A push to adopt CPI-E, rather than a switch to a “chained” consumer price index that cuts retiree benefits, would m...

Show More
Related

  • Roth IRA Essay

    3042 Words  | 7 Pages

    The push for Congress to pass legislation protecting the rights of employees and their retirement was inevitable. Retirement plans are extremely important for all working individuals. Having funds to keep or exceed ones current standard of living and to enjoy one’s life beyond expectations after retire...

    Read More

  • In Favor of Social Security Reform

    1027 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are millions of Americans affected by social security. These Americans rely on social security to provide them with financial security. Recently President Bush agreed to proposing a method of privatizing the social security program so that in the future the vast reserves of the social security system would not run out nearly as fast. With the always increasing rise in inflation, and the baby boomer generation reaching ages of retirement fairly soon, this is an issue that needs to be dealt with correctly and rapidly. The way the president is handling the situation is definitely the right way to do it. There are many things and ways in which to do it wrong, but the president seems to be pointing the plans of social security in the right direction. The president’s plans of reforming social security are right because the privatization is the best way to go, changing the rules for those who would apply for it increases the savings and makes the money go farther, and working with the distribution of different tax percentages would really make the money go a lot farther.

    Read More

  • Responsibility Taken by the Federal Government: Social Security

    1352 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the 20th century governmental responsibility has made remarkable progress. One major milestone of the widening of the responsibility of the federal government was it’s making an obligation to care for the elderly and retired in the form of social security. In 1935, the Social Security Act was enacted by the federal government to provide financial security to the elderly, retired citizens in America. Although the federal government first took on this responsibility in 1935, it is still affecting our lives today. However, social security would not have advanced this far without many organizations and individual reformers to begin and improve social security throughout history.

    Read More

  • Healthcare Reform in the United States

    1608 Words  | 4 Pages

    For decades, one of the many externalities that the government is trying to solve is the rising costs of healthcare. "Rising healthcare costs have hurt American competitiveness, forced too many families into bankruptcy to get their families the care they need, and driven up our nation's long-term deficit" ("Deficit-Reducing Healthcare Reform," 2014). The United States national government plays a major role in organizing, overseeing, financing, and more so than ever delivering health care (Jaffe, 2009). Though the government does not provide healthcare directly, it serves as a financing agent for publicly funded healthcare programs through the taxation of citizens. The total share of the national publicly funded health spending by various governments amounts to 4 percent of the nation's gross domestic product, GDP (Jaffe, 2009). By 2019, government spending on Medicare and Medicaid is expected to rise to 6 percent and 12 percent by 2050 (Jaffe, 2009). The percentages, documented from the Health Policy Brief (2009) by Jaffe, are from Medicare and Medicaid alone. The rapid rates are not due to increase of enrollment but growth in per capita costs for providing healthcare, especially via Medicare.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Social Security

    1680 Words  | 4 Pages

    In fact, social security has become the main source of income for many retirees. Social security is designed to replace less than half of someone’s preretirement income. It seems as though the CPI-W would be beneficial to use for reducing the fiscal issue. Cost-of-living adjustments are usually used during job transfers.

    Read More

  • The Future Financial Status of the Social Security Program

    974 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stephen C. Goss has extensively written about the future financial status of the social security program for the Americans and for the whole world at large. He patently articulates that changes enacted in 1983 on Social Security are expected to bring dynamic revolution, such that the benefits and other compensations would be paid in full and on a timely basis until 2037. In 2037, trust fund reserves are expected to be virtually exhausted. After the reserves are used, continuing taxes will be vastly relied upon to pay 76% of the benefits. There will be need and the necessity for the Congress to deliberate on changes concerning the program. It is estimated that reduction of benefits by 13% or a sudden increase in payroll tax to 14.4% from 12.4% or a combination of these two strategies will lead to full payment of scheduled benefits for the next 75 years. In the article, Stephen Goss explicitly analyzes the financial state of the Social Security program. He fundamentally analyzes the aspects of solvency and sustainability. It also evaluates the effect of the social program on the federal budget. It is apparent that social benefits that Americans deserve will continue in the future with certain adjustments to be implemented by the congress and by the legislative bodies.

    Read More

  • Medicare: Cost and Implications for the Future

    1965 Words  | 4 Pages

    Medicare is a social policy many of our seniors look to for their stability when they reach 65

    Read More

  • The Future of Social Security

    604 Words  | 2 Pages

    Social Security is a system that was set up in 1935 after the Great depression to help people get through tough times. "Social Security is now used by nearly 44 million Americans"(policy.com). Only people who payed into social security are eligible to collect when they retire. Many people think that they receive the money they pay in but that is not total true. The money that you pay in is used for the people that are receiving it now. "In 1950 there were 16 workers for every beneficiary; today there are only three workers per beneficiary"(policy.com). There is more money going into social security then coming out now. The extra money goes into a trust to be used when it is needed. By the year 2032 those numbers are going to drop. By this time most baby boomers will be retired and collecting social security. This will put a big strain on the funds. There will be more money going out then coming in. And it will not take long to use all the money that is in the trust. By the year 2034 they will only be able to pay 75 percent of the beneficiaries. "The projected average monthly Social Security benefit in 2032 of about 1,100 (in 1998 dollars) would fall to about $800, and would drop further in later years. Average benefits for low-wage earners would drop from $670 to $480"(www.ssab). Theses cut would effect the people just starting to receive benefits and those who are already receiving benefits. And with each year these benefits will decrease. As these benefits continue to decrease "the percentage of aged people living in poverty would rise"(www.ssab).Most people believe this is happening because of the baby boomers generation. There will be more people taking from social security then giving in. By the time my generation is eliable to receive social security there may not be any money to give.

    Read More

  • Social Security and Corporate Welfare

    4037 Words  | 9 Pages

    Today, the future of Social Security is in the news again. The reason Social Security is of such concern is that the extremely large group of citizens born in the post-World War II period—the much-discussed baby-boom generation—is retiring. The generation that will take its place in the workforce is far smaller in proportion to the number of retirees, raising fears about the sustainability of Social Security. In the past, proposed solutions to the various problems facing Social Security aroused great debate. Each time, however, the arguments were stilled, repairs were made, and the system continued to fulfill its mandate. That uncertainty about the future has resulted in suggestions for change that range from minor adjustments to complete privatization of the ...

    Read More

  • Public Policy of Social Security and Retirement Savings

    1203 Words  | 3 Pages

    Social Security is on the verge of taking care of the baby boomers generation. This means that it will be paying more benefits than taxes it receives. In lay-man’s terms it means it will be spending more money than it is making. I think that you should pay into your own private retirement account for you to reap the benefits in the future. Not for you to pay into a cluster of workers money for current elders to benefit from. You need to take care of your own future and not rely on other people’s responsibility. “…people began to think retirement funding as a right…and so…started saving less” (Klay & Steen). That being said, people of a certain age should be “grandfathered” into this meaning, people of the age of say 40, still get the normal social security retirement money but anyone younger must start abiding this new reform. If you get married, keep paying into your own unless your spouse is not working. If that is the case then pay the same amount BUT put half into your own and half into your spouses. If the other spouse is working however, they should pay into their own account and you into your own.

    Read More

  • Medicare and Medicaide

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    Medicare and Medicaid together "are the single biggest contributor to [the United States] long term [budget] deficit." This idea was expressed by President Obama during his 2011 state of the Union Speech. After saying this, the president said that health care costs need to be reduced, including these two services. Medicare and Medicaid are beneficial to those who receive their services, and the criteria for eligibility currently allow many to qualify for either program. This is most likely the cause of the major deficit that the president spoke of. However, downsizing or eliminating these programs to lessen the deficit will affect many people and their ability to receive healthcare.

    Read More

  • The Past, Present and Future of Social Security

    2689 Words  | 6 Pages

    Social security, the federal retirement system, is one of the most popular government programs in United State?s history. Today, Social Security benefits are the backbone of the nation's retirement income system. The long road to the successful development of social security began in 1935. Before 1935, very few workers received job pensions. Those workers that were covered never received benefits because they were not guaranteed.

    Read More

  • The Future Of Social Security

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    Social Security has become a primary source of income for so many retirees and disabled workers. With the increase in recipients, the fund will experience a shortfall that will impact future retirees. The future of Social Security looks bleak unless the government takes steps to reform the program to continue to meet the needs of the current as well as the future recipients. Whether it is to raise taxes, decrease benefits, or privatize Social Security, action is needed. We all want the benefit of enjoying our later years after retirement but it would be hard to enjoy life after work when your primary source of income disappears with no alternative. There are many options to explore to make the changes needed. Reform to Social Security needs to be made soon or it will not last beyond the next generation of retirees.

    Read More

  • What is the Future of Social Security?

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    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 contribute through payroll deductions, then get money back after you retire. Nonetheless, Social Security is a complex and intricate communal program. By design, Social Security involves massive subsidies from the next generation of retirees to the present, from single workers to married couples. Now that the gigantic post World War II baby boomers generation approaches retirement age, there is concern about the consequences it will have on Social Security. There are basically three options, we can do nothing and allow Social Security to run it’s course, revise Social Security, or consider privatization of the system.

    Read More

  • Essay On Us Healthcare 2050

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    As of 2013 data, the US per capita government expenditure was $4307 while total per capita expenditure on health spending was $9146, which is 17.1 percent of the GDP (2013) for the total expenditure on health. The annual rate of growth in per capita government spending on healthcare has been roughly 5.1 percent over the past thirty years (WHO, 2015). This rate of spending on health care growing faster than the economy for many years creates challenges ...

    Read More

More about Analysis Of Expanding Social Security Spending

Open Document