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Activity One, Group C: Debating the Social Security Act

Review the Great Depression time line and the section entitled "The Stock Market Crash and The Great Depression" on The Historical Background and Development of Social Security page, and answer the questions below.

How may the Great Depression have affected the lives of working class Americans?
How may the Great Depression have affected older workers differently from younger workers?

Read the Preamble to the Social Security Act, and answer the questions below.

How was the Social Security Act going to provide for Americans in a different way than they had previously been provided for?
Why do you believe the Social Security Act identified these particular groups in its preamble?
According to the preamble, what problem is the Social Security Act solving? Under this system, what does the federal government do and what do the states do? Why divide their duties in this way?

Read the following text, and work collaboratively with the rest of your group to answer the questions that follow.

What role is assigned to government in the reading? (For instance, does the speaker call for strong federal government oversight, state control, or very limited governmental support?)
Does the speaker believe that the Social Security Act will help or harm the people of the United States?
What is the speaker's reasoning for his or her argument? Pay particular attention to whether their position is based on evidence, logic, or economic and political ideology.
Do you agree or disagree with the author of your document? Why or why not?
Do you think contemporaries would have found his or her arguments convincing? Why or Why not?

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The Social Security Act

Activity One, Group C: Debating the Social Security Act