For the Unemployed and the Aged - The Development of the Social Security Act In the Course of the Great Depression and Its Introduction During the New Deal

Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,0, University of Leipzig (Institut für Amerikanistik), language: English, abstract: The writing of this paper was initiated by a seminar on the various forms of social policy in the United States from the nineteenth century to the present day. Throughout the sessions of the seminar it became clear that the need for some public assistance has always existed in the United States. Together with three of my fellow students I prepared a presentation on the Great Depression and the introduction of Social Security during the New Deal. Doing research for our presentation in class I took notice of the enormous pressure under which the Committee on Economic Security, which became the central institution in the drafting process of the novel program, had to work and the great obstacles they had to overcome on their way to the actual passing of 'their' Social Security Act in 1935. Consequently, out of this specific encounter I attempt to discuss two main points in this paper: one is the difficulties and obstacles that needed to be overcome when the Social Security Act was first developed and the second constitutes its introduction to the American public with its particular and distinguished programs. In order to fulfill these tasks, I will start out by giving an overview of the historical background, that of the Great Depression. In this context I will also consider, for instance, public opinion or rather its change in regard to Social Security during the New Deal.