Essay Sample on Social Security Act

Roosevelt was trying to save the American Dream with the Second New Deal. He set up everything for “the people”, at least those he wanted to include. The additions of the Rural Electrification Agency, the Works Progress Administration, and the Wagner Act were all initiatives to work towards this goal of economic security. But, the most beneficial and significant step Roosevelt took was the addition of the Social Security Act of 1935. Social security created assistance and support for certain groups of people, continued the cycle of the American Dream while departing from the government’s traditional ways, and still continued to exclude marginalized groups of people, despite being an act responsible for the well-being of Americans.

So, what exactly was the Social Security Act anyways? Coming in full force as the main event of the Second New Deal, the Social Security Act was the government’s response to those who were not able to work for an income. Economic security was low in America post-Great Depression, and the people were ready to accept government assistance. It provided assistance to groups of people such as the unemployed, old folks, people with disabilities, and families with dependent children. As repeated in the “Why Social Security” pamphlet of 1937, it is to help those who can not help themselves.

Social security decided to include a large array of diverse sets of people to aid, unlike other acts and establishments and agencies created during the Second New Deal. And unlike the other acts, this one focused on the non-working class. One of the main groups of people was the elderly. So much so that they even split it up into two different subsets, old-age assistance, and old-age benefits. This is no surprise, as Americans were getting older. Many states even had old-age pensions set up prior to this act. The life expectancy was rising, but their capability to work was stagnant. This change in who the government helps showed a different side of the government that America had not seen before.

While social security at a glance does not portray the typical American Dream, the government still found ways to tell the American people that it is so. The 1937 pamphlet put out by the government was written in a way to educate and soothe the concerns of the people. It assures the American people that social security is necessary because of the shift from farms to cities, land economy to a money economy (https://www.ssa.gov/history/whybook.html). It even excites the working class, telling them they can look forward to the old-age pension they will have worked so hard for. The pamphlet at the end closes with a statement saying that the pioneers and today’s families have the same wants and dreams, and the only thing that has changed is the way to get them. So, although the government had a major shift in its relationship with its people, the government still tried to create the option of the American Dream, or at least an illusion of it.

One might think that an act made to support the American people would include all people. Sadly, it still managed to leave out marginalized groups of people. One specific place this is showcased is found in section 210 in the fine print of the Social Security Act. It states, “The term "employment" means any service, of what­ever nature, performed within the United States by an employee for his employer, except- (1) Agricultural labor; (2)Domestic service in a  private home;” (THE TEXT OF THE FEDERAL SOCIAL SECURITY ACT, pg 336). Agricultural labor and domestic service were two categories that could have greatly benefited from social security but left people of color and women in the dust. The largest categories of black employment were excluded from the employment benefits of social security. Political power in the South ensured that legislation would not be passed if they actually included everyone. This, in turn, created even more problems. Black Americans were the main recipients of welfare because they could not receive social security benefits. The stigma of welfare became popular and was called “government handouts”, leading to more discrimination and racism. 

All women were affected by this law too. Male-headed households were still the ideal in America, and it showed. Close to 3 million women were left uncovered in the Social Security Act, as they made up most domestic workers. The government seems to only step in when even white, semi-successful men are struggling too.

“Americans” seems to only represent white, middle-class men because not every American was protected against unemployment and poverty. 60% of employed black American men and 85% of employed black American women were not covered (Foner, 850). Women made up the majority of domestic workers. 

The Social Security Act was Roosevelt’s best effort in protecting Americans against unemployment and poverty. It created assistance for many people, typically those who could not make a living for themselves. It also shifted the government’s relationship with its citizens, while still creating an illusion of the American Dream. But, despite its efforts to support Americans, it still managed to leave out a portion of the population due to its fine print. It left out those who would have benefited from its aid, the marginalized in society, mostly women and black Americans. Ultimately, Roosevelts efforts to aid the American people with the Social Security Act were good intentioned, but still missed the mark on who really gets to benefit from it and who ultimately got left out.