The Rhetoric of the Social Security Debate

Abstract

This article examines the rhetoric of the debate about Social Security. It suggests that political opportunism by Presidents Johnson and Clinton undermined the rhetorical position of supporters of Social Security. It details the approach taken by neoconservatives in their efforts to dismantle the system and suggests rhetorical responses that have been effective in countering those efforts. It also traces the ebb and flow of confidence in the system, as measured by public opinion polls. JEL classification: A1; H55

Lessons from the Snowy Slope: Vision and Politics in American Social Insurance

“…In The Rhetoric of the Social Security Debate , Douglas V. Orr challenged the portrayal of the dependency ratio as a crisis. The “demographic imperative” for reducing Social Security benefits based on the projection of two workers per retiree in 2042 is a “rhetorical ploy” (Orr : 329). Orr noted that there was a lower ratio of workers to dependents in 1960.…”