Social Security: History And Politics from the New Deal to the Privatization Debate (Studies in Government and Public Policy) (Hardcover)

by Daniel Béland (Author)
Key Phrases: social insurance paradigm, federal old age insurance program, old age insecurity, United States, New Deal, Advisory Council (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A readable account . . . Worth adding to one's library." -- Theodore R. Marmor in the Social Service Review

"A remarkably clear, concise, and reliable history." -- Michael B. Katz in the Journal of Interdisciplinary History

"This solid history and analysis should receive attention beyond those interested in the United States and pensions." -- Political Studies Review --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
Everyone agrees that Social Security's future is in jeopardy--or is it? Long viewed as the "third rail" of American politics, Social Security is now the focus of national attention as President George W. Bush pushes for privatization. But too few of us, young and elderly alike, really understand the origins and workings of this popular program. Daniel Béland answers the call for objective information with a short history that provides context and clarity for the current debates.

Covering six decades through the beginning of the current century, Béland chronicles how Social Security and the controversy surrounding its solvency have evolved, offering along the way new insights into its past, present, and future. His balanced perspective will help readers understand and evaluate partisan arguments on both sides of the issue.

Béland reconstructs the political history of Social Security, describes the impact of subsequent amendments to the original act, and offers comparative insights from other countries that can improve our understanding of the debate. He focuses particularly on the relationship between ideas and institutions in policymaking to examine the impact of gender and race on Social Security politics; and he shows that gender has had a more direct impact on Social Security development--especially regarding spousal benefits--and is more important in understanding the politics of reform than has often been understood.

In assessing how Social Security has been sold to the public, Béland reveals how the 1935 act resulted in part from its link with the traditional American belief in the values associated with hard work and self-reliance, while surreptitiously providing some economic security for the impoverished. Today's privatizers argue for changing from a guaranteed benefit to a defined contribution program, seeking to reclaim from liberals the rhetoric about American values in order to alter the very nature of Social Security--effectually turning discourse centered on personal and collective gain against the institutional legacy of the New Deal.

Succinct and illuminating, Béland's work provides concerned citizens with a thoughtful exploration of how the politics of Social Security evolved, while offering scholars new theoretical insights about the welfare state and the role of ideas and institutions in policymaking.

This book is part of the Studies in Government and Public Policy series.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 252 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Kansas (August 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0700614044
• ISBN-13: 978-0700614042
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,421,872 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The big, "new deal" about Social Security, August 17, 2005

By	politics reader (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

I bought this book to read for the 70th anniversary of Social Security (Aug. 14), but it came out earlier than expected. It's good to read a social science book that's not full of jargon or boring policy details. The author gets to the point, and he writes clearly--for an academic. The book is really concise, as it covers nearly eight decades of history in less than 200 pages (w/o the notes). It also addresses broad issues, from the role of unions and business interests to Bush's Social Security agenda. But what I really like is that this book is not just about Social Security: it explains how American institutions work, how politicians and think tanks set the policy agenda, and even why the US doesn't have national health insurance! This book didn't change my life but it certainly helped me to understand why (and how) privatization is now such a big deal.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Political Story Is Told, November 4, 2006

By	Steve (Decatur, GA) - See all my reviews

This book is a must read for those who are interesting how the U.S. Social Security evolved into its present state, and is indispensible for those interested in understanding the context of current political debates (not only in the US, but in other countires - social security debates in other countries have been influenced by the U.S. system, and vice versa). Beland explains the political origins or social security, and it is clear that in order to understand current social security politics, including recent discussion of privatization, you need to start at the beginning.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An adequate study (if your expectations are not too high), January 8, 2006

By	A Reader (Bethesda, Maryland) - See all my reviews

Beland's study of the history and politics of the U.S. Social Security program provides a solid historical account of the establishment, expansion, and curtailment of old-age insurance. There are, however, flaws. Beland (like many academics) spends too much energy trying to locate his own methodology within existing intellectual fads (a good editor would have cut Chapter 1 by two-thirds its ultimate length). Also, the prose is turgid and repetitive (how many times does Beland really think it is necessary to refer to "credit-claiming strategies"?). And, despite his claims to the contrary, this book really is not for the general reader (any book that uses the term "instauration" should be excised from any general reader's list). Again, it's solid book and should be read by anyone seriously interested in the current Social Security debate. Just keep your expectations within reason.