Entitlement Benefits vs. Entitlement Costs Ch.2 | HISPBC

Originally created to prevent senior poverty and offer a basic safety net, the entitlement system has expanded to provide extensive assistance across the income scale, with 60% of recipients nowhere near the poverty line, and $700 billion a year allocated to the top 50% of households; meanwhile programs like Social Security and Medicare supply generous lifetime benefits, such that a typical couple can expect to receive $1 million in payments. This substantial mission creep indicates the system's imbalance from its founding principles and a need to refocus spending on the core goals of old-age support and poverty relief.
Be sure to visit The Hoover Institution at www.hoover.org/ and PolicyEd at www.policyed.org/
Check out more from John Cogan:
Watch "Factors that Promote Economic Prosperty" with John Cogan. Available here:
www.policyed.org/policy-brief...
Watch "The Negative Effects of High Taxes" with John Cogan. Available here:
www.policyed.org/policy-brief...

[@lomotil3370]

Without know how the projections are made, they are worthless.

[@hikerJohn]

How do you define "poor" in the line that says 60% of current recipients are non-poor? I'm just wondering if I'm poor or not. My social Security does not even cover my food and utilities so all my insurance and auto expenses and home maintenance is coming from savings. I live in Southern CA so at least my heating bill is zero in 8 months out of the year and I dont have air conditioning.

[@DouglasLippi]

Look up "federal poverty level". Then double or triple that since you live in CA.

[@MechanicalMafioso]

Not sure I agree with this at all, He’s got Social Security listed as an entitlement. How does a mandatory insurance program sponsored by the government classify as an entitlement… Welfare sure. Paying off student loans yep. Government sponsored reduced price housing yep.

[@davidalexander6811]

Social Security is not an entitlement, because workers pay into it and get back what they put in.

[@wbcorkery]

Entitlements in the political science sense are programs where recipients are entitled to the benefit regardless of actions the US federal government takes (hence the other name mandatory spending). Social security is an entitlement program because workers are entitled to payments if they met the qualifications (quarters worked) although payments received are greater for those who made less. Also, Social Security is not a bank where the amount paid in gathers interest and is then paid out per person. It is a trust fund where benefits are determined on salary earned AND on the amount of trust funds available (which is why boomers almost certainly will receive greater benefits than future generations).

[@aleinstein3223]

"Entitlement" its called obligations you made a deal stick with it. No changing horses mid stream.

[@bobbinsthethird]

These are self renewing. How many people who passed social security in 1935 or the rest of the New Deal is still in Congress? If you "you made a deal stick with it", who is you?