Question

In his message to Congress, what does President Franklin D. Roosevelt cite as the reason for needing a federal social insurance program?

Answer 1

President Franklin D. Roosevelt needed a federal social insurance program to provide a safety net for the elderly, the unemployed, and the disabled during the Great Depression, which was funded through the Social Security Act of 1935.

Step-by-step explanation:

President Franklin D. Roosevelt cited the desperate conditions of the elderly during the Great Depression as a key reason for the need of a federal social insurance program. Elderly individuals, many of whom lost their life savings and lacked the means to support themselves, were among those most distressed by the depression. To address this issue, Roosevelt and Congress initiated the Social Security Act of 1935, which created a government insurance program for the elderly, the temporarily unemployed, and the permanently disabled. The program, financed by a modest payroll tax on both employers and workers, was intended to provide a guaranteed minimum level of security and to lay the foundation for individual retirement funds.

Answer 2

President Franklin D. Roosevelt cite the main purpose of the program was to secure all of nation’s men, women, and children against hazards and vicissitudes of life. No one can guarantee the country against the dangers of depressions, and the plan for social security is a measure of prevention and alleviation.