Frances Perkins, “Social Insurance for U.S.,” 1935
We cannot hope to accomplish all in one bold stroke. To begin too ambitiously in the program of social security might very well result in errors which would entirely discredit this very necessary type of legislation. It is not amiss to note here that social legislation in European countries, begun some 25 years ago, is still in a developmental state and has been subjected to numerous changes as experience and changing conditions dictated.
It may come as a surprise to many of us that we in this country should be so far behind Europe in providing our citizens with those safeguards which assure a decent standard of living in both good times and bad, but the reasons are not far to seek. We are much younger than our European neighbors. Our abundant pioneer days are not very far behind us. With unlimited opportunities, in those days, for the individual who wished to take advantage of them, dependency seemed a reflection on the individual himself, rather than the result of social or economic conditions. There seemed little need for any systematic organized plan, such as has now become necessary.
It has taken the rapid industrialization of the last few decades, with its mass-production methods, to teach us that a man might become a victim of circumstances far beyond his control, and finally it “took a depression to dramatize for us the appalling insecurity of the great mass of the population, and to stimulate interest in social insurance in the United States.” We have come to learn that the large majority of our citizens must have protection against the loss of income due to unemployment, old age, death of the bread-winners and disabling accident and illness, not only on humanitarian grounds, but in the interest of our National welfare. If we are to maintain a healthy economy and thriving production, we need to maintain the standard of living of the lower income groups in our population who constitute 90 per cent of our purchasing power.
Use the excerpt to answer the question.
Which of the following BEST identifies the role of the Social Security Act as Perkins understood it?
A.
to make the United States more like European countries
B.
to ensure to everyone is provided a fair wage for a fair day’s work
C.
to blunt the terrible impact of industrialization on the working people
D.
to provide a safety net for those most vulnerable to economic changes
D. to provide a safety net for those most vulnerable to economic changes.
The answer to the question can be found by analyzing the excerpt provided. According to the excerpt, Frances Perkins, in discussing the need for social security in the United States, states that social legislation in European countries began earlier and is still in a developmental state. She also highlights the impact of rapid industrialization and the Depression in demonstrating the insecurity faced by the population. Additionally, Perkins emphasizes the need for protection against income loss due to unemployment, old age, death, and disability for the majority of citizens.
Based on this information, the role of the Social Security Act, as Perkins understood it, can be identified as providing a safety net for those most vulnerable to economic changes. Therefore, the correct answer is D. to provide a safety net for those most vulnerable to economic changes.