Many young people don’t think Social Security will be there for them when they retire. Coupled with the doubt about Social Security’s longevity is a general apathy toward learning its basic functions and how it operates. Young people are uninformed and therefore misinformed. They do not understand how Social Security works, who it affects, and how it fits into their future plans.

The Economic Policy Institute seeks to address the skepticism and lack of interest and understanding with this comprehensive guide to Social Security—written by young authors for young people.

Note on citations: This textbook does not have a bibliography. All citations can be found in the PDF document as URLs inlaid in the text that link to the article or webpage from which the number, fact, or figure was derived.

All program statistics and historical data are from the Social Security Administration Office of the Chief Actuary and the Office of the Chief Actuary’s “2010 Trustees Report.” The most-used source is Appendix A of the report, Table VI.A4.— Operations of the Combined OASI and DI Trust Funds. All data, unless otherwise noted, refer to 2009.

Other sources include the Congressional Budget Office, the Employee Benefits Research Institute, and the Center for Retirement Research.

Event video:

Engaging younger generations in Social Security debates (Part 1)

(Part 2)