The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders. Introduction Part 2. The Tax Option Part 3. Promoting Good Tax Policy Part 4. The Social Security Opportunity Part 5.
Most people view financial shortfalls only as problems.
However, the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, viewed the debt crisis arising from the Revolutionary War and its immediate aftermath as a golden opportunity. The United States, like many nations, is in the midst of a financial problem related to its entitlement programs. Although typically called the social security crisis, that label is misleading for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, the budget problems soon to unfold are not even primarily in social security. Benefits are scheduled to grow much more in programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.