Skip to main content

What part of FDR's Second New Deal provided retirement insurance to people over 65 years old?

The part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Second New Deal that provided retirement insurance to people over 65 years of age is called Social Security.  This is a very famous program that continues to exist to this day.


One thing that President Roosevelt wanted to do with the New Deal was to set the US economy up in such a way that there could never be another terrible economic downturn like the Great Depression.  Social...

The part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Second New Deal that provided retirement insurance to people over 65 years of age is called Social Security.  This is a very famous program that continues to exist to this day.


One thing that President Roosevelt wanted to do with the New Deal was to set the US economy up in such a way that there could never be another terrible economic downturn like the Great Depression.  Social Security was one part of this effort.  Social Security would help prevent depressions because it would make sure that elderly people had money to live on.  If retired people were spending their Social Security money on things like food and clothes, it would help keep the economy strong.


Of course, Social Security was also meant as something of a humanitarian program.  Before Social Security, there was no government program to ensure that retired people had any money to live on.  People had to save for themselves while they worked and/or they had to rely on support from their children when they grew too old to work.  Social Security was meant to ensure that retired people would not sink into poverty if they had not been able to save or if they did not have family who could support them.


For these reasons, President Roosevelt backed the idea of Social Security.  A bill was passed creating the program and Roosevelt signed it into law on August 14, 1935.  While the program has some problems, it continues to exist today and many Americans rely on it for their retirements.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more