Work in progress — cycles are added one at a time. Every quote is machine-verified against an archived source; follow the links to read it.
Issues › Relief, Welfare & Social Insurance
How to finance old-age and unemployment insurance (contributory reserve vs. pay-as-you-go)
Also known as: Social Security payroll tax (1935-); Social Security solvency (1977-)
| Cycle | Candidate | Position | Solution | Strength | Attribution | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Alf Landon (Republican) | Repeal the compulsory old-age insurance plan; pay every needy citizen over 65 a pension from a direct, widely distributed tax | Repeal the payroll-tax insurance titles; amend the needy-aged title so every citizen over 65 gets the supplementary payment needed for a minimum income, financed pay-as-you-go by 'a direct tax widely distributed' and fed… | specific_pledge | candidate_direct | not_applicable |
| 1936 | Frank Knox (Republican) | The Social Security Act is 'unworkable and unsound' -- 'lip service to security'; a Republican administration would offer its own legislation | Replace the Act; warn workers the taxes will rise and that 'the people are going to retire Santa Claus.' | directional_stance | reported | not_applicable |
| 1936 | Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic) | Defense of the payroll-tax financing: the employer pays an equal share and the reserves are safe | Keep the contributory old-age insurance and the employer-financed unemployment insurance as enacted; reject the 'pay-envelope' claim that workers bear the whole cost or that reserves will be diverted. | specific_pledge | candidate_direct | partial? |