Watch: How the Public Views the Options to Reform Social Security

Note: Read the event recap blog HERE.

The Social Security Trustees project the Social Security trust fund is expected to be insolvent by 2035. Preventing insolvency will require policymakers to enact reforms that will slow down the program's cost growth, increase its revenues, or some combination. With the immense public support for Social Security, it is important to understand how to talk to the public about the need for solutions and how that discussion shapes opinion on what policy options are preferred to secure the program for future generations.

We were pleased to present the results of a public consultation survey, conducted by the Program for Public Consultation at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy. Their surveys are conducted online with representative samples of citizens who are taken through a policymaking simulation that puts them in the shoes of a policymaker.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget hosted How the Public Views the Options to Reform Social Security, a virtual event to review the survey's key findings and a discussion about the status of Social Security. 

Opening remarks:

Marc Goldwein, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (slide deck)

Presentation:

Steven Kull, University of Maryland's School of Public Policy (slide deck, full Social Security report, and policymaking simulation)