New article “Obama vs. FDR”

I have a new article up at The American, AEI's online publication, discussing how President Obama's plans for Social Security fit within the character of the program as established by FDR.

When the Social Security Act was passed in 1935, the program embodied new ideas on the role of government and engendered significant opposition. Yet one point remained clear: Social Security was not "relief," what is today termed "welfare." This new program, explained President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was to be an earned right by American workers, not a handout. This aspect of the program, the Social Security Administration (SSA) says, is "one of the basic principles of the Social Security program and is largely responsible for its widespread public acceptance and support." But some in Congress and the new Obama administration wish to make fundamental changes to how Social Security works, shifting it closer to a welfare program.

The piece builds on some of my earlier article, but includes more historical material on the founding of the Social Security program. Click here to read the whole story.