A Documentary History tells the story of the creation and development of the U.S. Social Security program through primary source documents, from its antecendents and founding in 1935, to the controversial issues of the present. This unique reference presents the complex history of Social Security in an accessible volume that highlights the program's major moments and events.

The sooner our nation acts to address Social Security's long-term financial challenges, the easier it will be to successfully meet them. The choices are not difficult to understand, but they are difficult to make. They affect both how much Americans pay for Social Security & how much they receive from the program. They require changes that not only will affect us but have implications for future generations. This guide provides answers to questions about the most basic aspects of Social Security & reform issues in a concise & easy-to-understand format. It provides straightforward answers to how Social Security works, why it needs reform, what the basic options are, & how to assess their implications.