The Great Depression left the American banking system in shambles and left the American people broken and scared for their futures. There …show more content…
Local cities and towns had the responsibility of providing economic relief for its own citizens. The poor economic status led to the legislation of the New Deal and the Social Security Act. In hopes to relieve some of the fear of joblessness from workers and to give elderly workers economic relief after retirement. When President Roosevelt ran for office he promised the American citizens a "New Deal" to relieve American suffering. The New Deal sought to provide two objectives. The first was "workfare" in place of "welfare." This would take place by poviding short-term employment in public works projects. The second objective was to create a more organized economic system. This would encourage the recovery of the private sector in the future. During Roosevelt's campaign, more than 12 million Americans citizens were unemployed, two million families had lost their homes and their farms, and thirty million Americans were members of households without a single employed family member working. In March of 1933, shortly after FDR took office, he enacted the first program of the "New Deal." It was called the Emergency Banking …show more content…
The U.S. Congress enacted the Social Security Act, originally called the “Economic Security Bill,” in August of 1935. The main purpose of the Social Security Act was to provide the elderly with a reasonable amount of money to survive on as they grew older. Within the Social Security Act there was a section that stated that "qualified individuals would receive monthly payments starting on the date he reaches the age of sixty-five and stopping on the day he dies. The plan was that these payments would begin in the year 1940 and the funds would be obtained from special "modest" tax paid by the employer. The intentions of the Roosevelt Administration was not for Social Security to be the only source of retirement for the elderly. The goal was just to give them a guarantee that they would have something. Later generations would increase the benefit from the initial average of $20 per month. The result of these increases and the growing number of retirees in proportion to workers has created challenges in modern times, yet Social Security remains the most popular program initiated during the New Deal. When FDR gave his speech upon signing the Social Security Act he stated, "Young people have come to wonder what will be there lot when they came to old age." He also stated, "This social security measure gives at least some protection to 50 million of our citizens who will reap