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Social Security Reform

grandmother Prepared by staff of the Dallas Public Library's Urban Information Center.

This page was developed to facilitate research by students and interested citizens into current public policy proposals for reforming the Social Security pension system (a.k.a. Old Age Survivors & Disability Insurance). It was created in 2006, when the issue was being fervently debated in the national media.

  1. Starting Points
  2. White House, Federal Agencies & Congress
  3. Research & Policy Organizations
  4. National Retirement in Other Countries
  5. The Future of Retirement
  6. News & Media Sources

1. Starting Points

We have selected the following web pages for the substantive way that they explain the background and issues. Whenever researching an issue of such complexity, it is advisable to acquaint oneself with an understanding of how to detect bias. In this regard, there are many sites on the web that teach the principles of critical thinking and media literacy.

Dallas Library patrons may also wish to consult our online catalog for books on social security.

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2. White House, Federal Agencies & Congress

The Congress, the White House and its federal agencies are all engaged in thinking about social security reform.  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is generally held to be nonpartisan, as are the Trustees of the Old Age Survivors & Disability Insurance (OASDI) fund, which is the formal name for what's commonly called "Social Security".  For details on any of these, consult the US Government Manual or the Wikipedia*.

The White House

Federal Agencies

Congress

Historical Resources

This section includes pointers to two earlier commissions.  The so-called "Greenspan Commission", led by the same Alan Greenspan who is currently head of the Federal Reserve, appointed during the Reagan administration, effected far-reaching changes by increasing payroll taxes and thereby strengthening the Social Security Trust Fund. The 2001 commission was appointed by the current President Bush.

Online documents

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*Wiki comes from the Hawaiian word meaning "quick". Wikis are collaborative websites jointly authored by many volunteer editors and writers. The English-language Wikipedia is the largest encyclopedia in the world. Because it is the work of volunteers, it may not be as accurate as printed works that have been professionally authored and edited.

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3. Research & Policy Organizations

In general, advocacy groups divide as follows: 1) those who favor extending the life of the current Social Security system with some modification to payroll taxes and benefits; 2) those who favor a major overhaul that includes diverting some payroll taxes toward individually controlled savings accounts; 3) those who analyze and present findings about various policy options, but without endorsing any particular approach to reform. In the interest of balance, examples of all three are included below.  

The following list includes organizations who have demonstrated a long-standing commitment to researching policy options in relation to retirement and social security. (To learn about advocacy groups, it is often useful to know something about who funds them.  The website, Sourcewatch.com is useful in this regard.) 

For additional groups, see the Issue Organizations listed at Project Votesmart, a nonpartisan research organization.  We have presented organizations representing a wide spectrum of opinion; inclusion on this select list does not imply any endorsement of the positions taken.

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4. National Retirement in Other Countries

The problem of providing a secure and dignified living for the elderly is world-wide, and almost all developed countries, notably including Europe and Japan, tend to have an aging population.  It is instructive to situate the current United States debate within this larger framework. As always, some see in these programs kernels of a solution, and others see only a cautionary tale.  As always, one is well-advised to be on the lookout for bias.  (See the brief discussion of bias in the Starting Points section, above.)

Online Documents

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5. The Future of Retirement

The contemporary model of retirement has only been with us since the 1930's, not even a full century. As the earth's population lives longer and more of us reach senior status, the question of retirement may require fresh thinking from first principles. Public policy approaches being actively explored include phased retirements, combating ageism and keeping people in the workforce longer. At the individual level, many retirees are finding new ways to live meaningfully and purposefully, with less money and more time. If you know of resources that might merit inclusion here, please send us an email

Associations, Research Centers & Organizations

The Baby Boom generation, by virtue of its sheer size, has reshaped institutions as it passed through earlier life stages. It would, therefore, seem natural that a new paradigm for retirement should soon begin to emerge. While not necessarily focused on retirement, per se, the following organizations promote interest in ways of living that reflect a golden thread in American culture--plain living and high thinking.

Online Documents

Authors of the following documents reflect upon the implications of a graying society and explore possible economic and social consequences.

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6. News & Media Sources

We include resources here that: 1)  include a substantial amount of original reporting, 2) are organized on a single web page that is easy to link to, 3) can be accessed without having to register, 4) are credible. (If you would like to suggest additional sites that meet these criteria, please send your suggestions by email.)

While more of an aggregator of articles than a media source, Global Action on Aging's Pension Watch is an excellent resource for United States and global pension issues. Dallas Public Library patrons may wish to consult some of our full text databases of magazines, journals, newspapers and electronic books.  See the subheading marked Resources on our homepage.

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