Social Security

4/26/2012

Learning Objectives• Accurately describe the social, economic,

and political dimension of major problems and dilemmas facing contemporary American society

• Use knowledge and analyses of social problems to evaluate public policy, and to suggest policy alternatives, with special reference to questions of social justice, the common good, and public and individual responsibility.

Opportunities to discuss course content

• No office hours today

• Monday 10-2

Readings

Required– Energy and Environmental Policy (Chapter 10) Dye

• Optional– Population, Global Inequality, and the

Environmental Crisis (Chapter 15) Kendall

PAPER 3

About Paper 3• What it Contains– Revised Paper 2– an argument for your own position (evidence,

moral reasoning, feasibility)– Counter-argumentation for your conclusion– and Conclusion;

• 12-15 TOTAL pages of text - 15 Works Cited

• Rubric

Start Writing Paper 3 now!

What it Contains: Your Solution

• Pick/develop a solution to the controversial social problem

• This Could be– The Controversial Solution from Paper 2– A different solution proposed by policy makers– Your own solution

What it Contains: Justification

• For your solution– Provide new reasons supporting your solution or

those from paper 2

– Provide evidence to support your solution

What it Contains: Counter-argumentation

• identify the weakest aspects of your solution and defend it against your opponents – who is likely to oppose your choice and why

– What would critics say is wrong with your solutions

– provide counterargumentation for your solution and defend it against those would oppose your stance.

What it Contains: Your Moral Reasoning

• Support of your position from a personal Moral Reasoning perspective

• Identify your Obligations, Values, and Consequences in reaching your solution.

• Use the moral reasoning perspective to justify your solution

What it Contains: Feasibility

• Will it Work?– Politically (does it have the support of necessary

decision makers)– Economically (can we afford the costs)

• What might need to be done to increase the chances of success?

What it Contains: A conclusion

• Finally, you get to write a conclusion

• Answer the normative question

• Finish with two or three strong paragraphs that summarize the Social Problem, the Controversial Policy Solution, and your decision. Be persuasive.

SUBMITTING THE PAPER

About Paper 3

• You must submit two copies– in class on the day and time they are due – submitted to turnitin.com via Blackboard by 11:59

PM on the Day they are due.

• I grade the hard copy, and if this is late, you receive a grade of zero for that assignment

Copy # 1

• In Class

• May 3rd

Copy 2: Turnitin via Blackboard

• This paper must also be submitted to turnitin.com by 11:59 PM on May 3rd

• Failure to do this will result in a 5 point deduction on the Paper 3 grade.

• Don’t leave points on the board

Demographics and Social Security

How Population Growth and Change influences Policy

What is it?• The Largest Single Federal Program

• A program that everyone loves

• A Program that Everyone Gets

Why do we love it?

• Almost everyone gets it

• It has very basic goals that are easy to reach

• The average worker gets $1230 a month

How Do We pay for it?

• Payroll Taxes– I Pay 4.2% of my salary For 2012– St. Edward’s pays 6.2%

• Only the first $110,100 of wages are taxed

• There is an upper limit on taxes… for Now (the most you can pay is $4,485.60 )

• The most you can get in benefits is $2513

SOCIAL SECURITY IS IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE- ALL BECAUSE OF DEMOGRAPHICS

The PAYGO Pipeline

Americans are living Longer

America is Getting Older

There are Fewer Workers

Each Worker supports more recipients

There are More Recipients

The Baby Boomers will drain the System (pre-recession)

Baby Boomers and Recession (2011)

Bankrupt vs. Broke

• Bankrupt- not being able to meet your obligations

• Broke- not having any money

Either way, we need policy change

The Policy of inaction

1995 Prediction 2005 Prediction

Forecasting in 2006

The 2012 Numbers

The 2012 Numbers

Without changes, by 2033 the Social Security Trust Fund will be exhausted* and there will be enough money to pay only about 75 cents for each dollar of scheduled benefits.

How to Solve the Problem

• There are many solutions

• All involve risk and create winners and losers

• Your primary targets are voting constituents

Other Solutions

• Raise the age

• Raise Taxes

• Cut Benefits

• Means Test

• Run Public Service announcements

Radical Solutions

• Partial Privatization

• Full Privatization

• Amnesty for all Immigrants

• Abolish Abortion

Social Security

Has it been a success, and what should we do?

ENERGY POLICY

Overall Energy Use has increased

We Don’t Use as Much per person

Why the increase

• Population

• Affluence

• Technology

Energy We Use- Perpetual

• Will not run out

• Solar, Wind, Tidal

Energy We Use- Renewable

• Can be reproduced and Recreated

• We Use Less Renewable energy than in the 18th century

Energy We use- Nonrenewable

• Cannot be Replaced

• Finite

• Oil, Natural Gas, Coal

What We Use

Our Old Energy Policy

• We had plenty of domestic sources

• Energy was readily available from other places

• We were not concerned with the environmental impact.

Our New Energy Policy

• How do we meet our Energy Needs?

• How can we do this without destroying our economy?

• How do we do this without destroying the Earth?

Meeting these Goals involves 3 things

• Conserving existing resources and using the more efficiently

• Finding New Stocks of existing Energy Sources

• Using More renewable and perpetual sources