"We can never insure one hundred percent of the population against one hundred percent of the hazards and vicissitudes of life, but we have tried to frame a law which will give some measure of protection to the average citizen and to his family against the loss of a job and against poverty-stricken old age."
—President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Statement on Signing the Social Security Act, August 14, 1935
Which of the following describes the most significant long-term legacy of the legislation described in the excerpt?
- The establishment of a federal safety net that expanded the government's responsibility for social welfareAnswer
- BThe immediate and complete end of the Great Depression through guaranteed national full employment
- CThe creation of Medicare and Medicaid to provide universal healthcare for the elderly and low-income families
- DThe return of the United States economy to a system of completely unregulated laissez-faire capitalism
Answer
The establishment of a federal safety net that expanded the government's responsibility for social welfare
The correct answer is correct because the Social Security Act of 1935 represented a fundamental shift in the relationship between the American citizen and the federal government. By creating federal systems for old-age pensions, unemployment insurance, and aid to families with dependent children, the legislation established a national safety net and permanently expanded the federal government's responsibility for social welfare, moving away from the traditional reliance on local, state, or private charity.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The New Deal's long-term transformation of the federal government's role in social and economic security.
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