Social Security in the 21st Century

Social Security is one of our most important programs. In 1995, $332.6 billion were paid in benefits to 43.4 million people. An estimated 141 million people paid contributions on their earnings, yeilding $359.0 billion in payroll tax revenues.

For many workers, their Social Security contribution was larger than their income tax liability. In 1992, 63 percent of aged families received 50 percent or more of their income from Social Security (or, more precisely, from the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program). Together with Medicare, Social Security makes an enormous difference in the everyday lives of Americans. Few government initiatives have received such widespread public support. Bust Social Security is also the source of much misunderstanding and periodic heated debate. As the economy changes and the baby boomers age, the nation is again assessing various approaches to adapting Social Security. This book, written by an interdiciplinary group of experts, provides students, policymakers, university faculty, journalists, and the reading public with the tools necessary to participate in this new debate.

$24.95 (including shipping and handling)   /   313 pp.   /   March 1997

Available through Oxford University Press, call 1-800-451-7556