History Of Social Security Term paper
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The History of Social Security
Since the beginning of time there has been a longstanding tradition of the workers supporting the elderly. This was practiced during biblical times, with the children supporting their parents, and has continued to the present day. As times changed and humans developed more as a society, it became apparent that everyone should be required to support those who cannot work. The goal in mind is to provide everyone with economic security. These principles helped bring about the creation of Social Security.
The first act in which a government stepped in to provide for the needy was The English Poor Law of 1601. With this the English government recognized that the poor had to be taken care of. The law was supported through taxation, with relief given to those in need. Buildings, called almshouses, were even built in order to provide shelter for those without it. This law laid the foundations of modern day economic security. The ideology of the workers supporting the needy was brought over to America with the immigrants. Many of the new communities developed laws very similar to the English Poor Law of 1601. One of the major drawbacks to the English Poor Law of 1601 and the new laws made by Americans is that the laws discriminated against the poor. By this I mean that there was no set criteria for being poor. All the decisions on whether or not you were considered to be poor enough to receive money was made on an individual basis. Because of this many needy people did not receive the benefits they were entitled. If the individual making the decision was racist or didn t like the person seeking money, they denied the person of the money. This attitude toward the poor continued for centuries.
Poverty doesn t discriminate between races, gender, or age. People of all types can be poor. Most people however, don t feel as compassionate towards middle-aged poor people, the common feeling is that if they didn t want to be poor all they had to do was to go and get a job. As a result of this, deeper compassion was felt for those who couldn t get a job, mainly children and the elderly. One person who recognized the severity of the situation was the Revolutionary War hero Thomas Paine. In 1795 Thomas Paine called for the creation of a public system of economic security for the new nation . Thomas Paine recognized the tragedy of being poor, especially in regards to the young and old. His plan called for a tax, with the income being paid out to both the young and old. His reasoning for this was to get young people some money to get their careers going, and also give older people money to sustain their life. Not everyone agreed with Thomas Paine and his vision was never fulfilled, at least during his lifetime.
It wasn t until 1862 that the Federal government established a form of economic security. It was at this time that the Civil War pensions program was set up. This provided soldier, who were wounded as a result of the war, with benefits so that they could sustain a normal life. This program also provided the widows and children of slain soldiers with money. These pensions were paid out at a huge cost to the Federal government. In 1894 nearly 37 percent of the Federal budget was spent on these pensions. The costs of this program was actually lower than should have been, with confederate soldiers not receiving any of the benefits. While America was moving towards a more equal society, it had yet to realize that programs such as the Civil War pensions program could be adapted to include the entire community.
Workers compensation was the next battle to be won in the struggle towards economic security. In 1908 the Federal government passed a law protecting Federal employees from injuries in hazardous jobs. Soon thereafter, many states adapted similar laws, and by 1929 workers compensation laws were in affect in every state. These laws held the employer responsible for living expenses if an employee was killed or injured while on the job. This one a major step towards the social security that we enjoy today, but still some people were unhappy.
Huey Long, Governor and Senator from Louisiana, was one of the leaders of the social security movement. He proposed that the Federal government should step in a bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. Long s ideas were very radical for the time period, and would probably be still seen as radical today. Huey Long thought that the government should limit the amount of money that a person could accumulate, and limit the ammount of money they could make in a single year. All the money that was made beyond these ceilings would be confiscated by the Federal government and be distributed to the poor. Huey Long thought that every family in America should be making at least 5,000 dollars a year. This money would allow everyone to own a house, car, radio, and provide food. Also...
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