SLWK 422 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Social Programs In The United States, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt
Document Summary
In the us, there was really no federal effort to provide for the welfare of citizens prior to 1935. Some individual states began to implement state-based old age pension systems, but these were not uniform or not available in all states. The social security act was originally enacted in 1935 as the country was struggling in the great depression. The depression began when herbert hoover was president. Hoover did want the government to provide welfare and thought the markets would correct themselves over time. Franklin roosevelt was elected in 1932 with a clear promise that the government would do something. The ssa was his signature piece of legislation, and the federal government"s first major attempt at social welfare. Since 1935, the ssa has remained the centerpiece of the american welfare system and has expanded massively. Major expansion in 1965, creating medicare and medicaid.
