The social security program in the United States was enacted in 1935. It was legislated by Congress during the Franklin D. Roosevelt presidency as part of his "New Deal" program. Social security is the federal social insurance program of the United States. Today social security is in a joint program with the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. In the U.S. today social security is the Nation's method of providing income when a family's earnings are reduced or stopped because of death, retirement, or disability. Nearly one out of seven people in the U.S. get monthly social security checks in the mail each month. Almost every family in the U.S. contributes to or collects from the fund known as social security.
             The need for a social security program was brought about by changes in our country due to the industrial revolution of the 19th century. One major change was urbanization. This change often caused families to live far from each other in order that they would have a job. This broke up the extended family whereby many family members lived together and cared for each other in times of old age, illness or disability. Families no longer took responsibility for these extended family members. Another major change was the rise in an individual's life expectancy. Greater numbers of people were reaching old age and were unable to work and there was no one to care for them.
             Then in the 1930's the nation was plunged into the Great Depression. Millions of Americans of all ages were now living in poverty, but those most affected were the elderly. These people had no income, no pension and were unable to re-enter the work force when economic times improved. Spurred by the condition of the populace of the
             Country President Roosevelt enacted the Social Security, which was legislated by congress on August 14, 1935.
             Many of the changes made to the social security program since its beginning were made to improve the...