The Puritan Society Of The Salem Witch Trials - 1288 Words

Many innocent people died in the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. If you were accused of being a witch or one with the devil, you would be sentenced to death or put in prison. The only one to blame for the deaths of the individuals is the Puritan Society. Without their absent minds, none of the deaths would have happened. The Puritan Society is very religious, therefore they believed strongly in going to church and most importantly in God. When someone in the town noticed someone practicing different religions, not going to church, or just acting differently than others, they were accused of being a witch. Some may argue that the Puritan Society had first hand evidence of people being witches. Someone in the town would blame another person for witchcraft and the authority would believe them because nobody who worshipped God could lie. If they were caught lying then they were confronted and put on trial for worshipping the devil. The Puritan Society definitely had good evidence an d reasoning to kill innocent people and accuse them of being a witch. They actually didn’t have any real evidence if they were a witch or not. The Puritan Society based their answers off of what people saw or rumors people heard. Also, others accused individuals of witch craft if they specifically didn’t like that person. There were times that women would act as if they were a witch and accuse different individuals of witch craft and people of the town would believe them. For example,Show MoreRelatedPuritan Society Of The Salem Witch Trials1793 Words   |  8 Pages Puritan society was a utopia made of strict religious conduct and revolved around God s ultimate path and blessing. Anything that was believed to be sinful or was of material desires would be considered a sin, and later requires extensive prayer for God s forgiveness. Puritans believed that their philosophy would last forever, and it would never become under threat from both seen and unseen forces. Puritan society was formed in and around Massachusetts, and would become the basis of American societyRead More The Salem Witch Trials as a Form of Control of the Puritan Society2788 Words   |  12 PagesThe Salem Witchcraft Trials as a Form of Control of the Puritan Society The Salem witchcraft trials resulted from a climate of repression, religious intolerance, and social hierarchy combined with fanaticism and the oppression of women. The Puritan leaders used the trials as a way to control the community and to prevent change in the strict social hierarchy. The trials ensured that the teachings of the church would be followed - anyone not following the church was simply accused of being a witchRead MoreSalem Witch Trials1478 Words   |  6 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a series of trials in which twenty-four people were killed after being accused of practicing witchcraft. These trials were caused by different social climates of the area including the very strong lack of a governor, the split between Salem Village and Salem Town, and the strict puritan lifestyle during the time period. Tituba, the black slave, was a foreigner from Barbados. Her role in society was to take care of Mr. Parris’s family. Tituba’s situation contribu tedRead MoreThe Hysteria Of The Salem Witch Trials1463 Words   |  6 Pagesdissention within the Puritan society: a group of English reformed protestants who pursued the Purification of the Church of England. Among these issues, is the hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials that prosecuted women to be found worshippers of the devil. The Puritans found the necessity to exercise this crusade in order to stay by their moral codes of conformity which included witchcraft to be the greatest crime, punishable by death. However, the true reasons of the trials was not to simply followRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials Of Colonial Massachusetts1473 Words   |  6 Pagesinfamous Salem witch trials of colonial Massachusetts took place between 1692 and 1693. They involved the execution of fourteen women and five men within the brief time period. What is now the New England region had been established by a homogenous Puritan population, which emigrated from England. Abiding by a strict set of belief s, the Puritans did not accept people of other backgrounds,therefore it might follow that the Salem Witch Trials of New England were a result of the strict Puritan society, whichRead MoreThe Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials Of 1692700 Words   |  3 PagesSalem Witch Trials DBQ   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How would you feel if your life was ruined just because you were considered unfit for society? This is exactly what was going on during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Prior to the trials, there were witch hunts that caused global unease mainly to Protestant societies. King Philip’s War also contributed to this unease by pushing people from the east coast and into Puritan towns. These towns had misogynistic male leadership, depriving many people of humanity becauseRead MoreSalem Witch Trials And Religious Superstition1411 Words   |  6 Pagesseventeenth century in colonial Salem, Massachusetts, two girls began acting in an uncanny manner. These girls then accused two woman and a slave for being witches; which caused the town of Salem to emerge into a period of witch cleansing. Mostly, the people of Salem were Puritans who found many different reasons to accuse one of being a witch. The start of the witch trials began in 1692 a nd ended in 1693 by Governor Phips; whose wife was prosecuted as a witch. These Salem Witch Trials began by religious superstitionRead MoreThe Main Causes Of The Puritans In The Salem Witch Trials1527 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"You’re a liar! I’m no more a witch than you are a wizard! If you take my life away, God will give you blood to drink!† This testimony is one out of the several given during the Salem Witch Trials which has become known as one of the mass hysterias to ever occur in American history. In 1692, individuals known as Puritans settled among a small village named Salem in what is now known as Massachusetts. The Puritans spent the beginning years of their settlement confronted with epidemics such as famineRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trial Hysteria1196 Words   |  5 PagesXochitl Neri Erick Felix In 1692-1693, the Salem Witch Trial Hysteria occurred, resulting in 20 deaths out of the 200 accused of practicing the Devil’s magic, a practice that women were commonly accused of. Salem, Massachusetts, was a colony that consisted of Puritans, both Separatists and non Separatists alike. From the start, the Puritans believed that the Bible was true in all aspects: every word, every idea, every thought--was true. The Puritans also had minimal understanding of science, whichRead MoreSalem Witch Trials : Legal Proceedings1338 Words   |  6 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials, also know as the Salem Witchcraft Trials were legal proceedings which took place of course in the Salem Village of Massachusetts. These trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in the village, claimed to be possessed by the devil accusing several local women of practicing the craft. Victims were prosecuted and executed for reputedly practicing witchcraft, when little to no evidence of the act itself existed. This historical period resulted in twenty

Hydraulic Fracturing And Fracking A Controversial Topic...

Hydraulic Fracturing or Fracking, as it more commonly known, is a very controversial topic across the globe. In the United States, its status remains the same. Hydraulic fracturing is a method of oil and natural gas production. The process includes the drilling of pipes 1-1.5 miles within the earth. After that pipe is secured and has an impermeable layer around the pipe, a tool that creates small holes within the impermeable layer is sent down through the pipe. It creates holes in the pipe that allows pressurized water and sand to flow out of the pipe and into small cracks, or creating new cracks within the earth. These cracks are held open with the sand that is carried along with the pressurized water. After all cracks have been created†¦show more content†¦The main environmental effects that hydraulic fracking could have on a local environment are largely, ground water contamination, aesthetic appeal, and the risk of a seismic activity increase in the local area. All three of these issues would, clearly, have a negative impact on a local environment. The contamination of ground water is a legitimate question to ask and concern to be addressed. When comparing conventional oil drilling to non-conventional oil drilling in terms of water contamination, the unconventional method of fracking looks to be safer. The drilling of fracking is much deeper within the earth than more conventional drilling methods. There are several impermeable levels of rock and material that prevents gas and oil from reaching the water table. With conventional drilling, there is an impermeable level of rock between the gas and oil pocket, however, it is much closer to the water table than the location of the fracking. Even though the actual location of the extraction of the oil and gas is generally further from the water table, studies have shown that it is probable that water can still be contaminated through fracking. â€Å"The authors of the PNAS study conclude that the conta mination they document is likely the result of â€Å"†¦ poor well construction.† This quote suggests that the reason for the contamination in the ground water is because of poor construction of wells due to demand and production rates. Another view comes from

Ethical Leadership Free Essays

string(53) " listed five principles of ethical leadership \(4\)\." ETHICS IN LEADERSHIP ASHISH 3/18/2013 What is Ethical Leadership? Ethics refer to the desirable and appropriate values and morals according to an individual or the society at large. Ethics deal with the purity of individuals and their intentions. Ethics serve as guidelines for analyzing â€Å"what is good or bad† in a specific scenario. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical Leadership or any similar topic only for you Order Now Leader is person who influences the thoughts and behaviours of others. A leader is one who establishes the direction for others to willingly follow. One person can serve as a leader or several persons might share leadership. So the art or technique to do so is Leadership. Hence Leadership is about raising the aspirations of followers and enthusing people with a desire to complete the common goals. Robert Kennedy summed up leadership best when he said, â€Å"Others see things as they are and wonder why; I see them as they are not and say why not? † Therefore correlating ethics with leadership, we find that ethics is all about the leader’s identity and the leader’s role. Some of the examples of ethical leaders are Bill Gates, Mahatma Gandhi etc. Ethical leader embraces the act of service as described by Robert Greenleaf (3) in his concept of â€Å"servant leadership. † The effective leader acts as a servant to others engaged in the enterprise, not in any sense of inferiority, but as one who empowers others to achieve success by focusing on right action. Traits/ Characteristics of Ethical Leader ? Dignity and respectfulness: He respects others. An ethical leader should not use his followers as a medium to achieve his personal goals. He should respect their feelings, decision and values. Respecting the followers implies listening effectively to them, being compassionate to them, as well as being liberal in hearing opposing viewpoints. In short, it implies treating the followers in a manner that authenticate their values and beliefs. ? Serving others: He serves others. An ethical leader should place his follower’s interests ahead of his interests. He should be humane. He must act in a manner that is always fruitful for his followers. ? Justice: He is fair and just. An ethical leader must treat all his followers equally. There should be no personal ias. Wherever some followers are treated differently, Ground for differential treatment should be fair, clear, and built on morality. ? Community building: He develops community. An ethical leader considers his own purpose as well as his followers’ purpose, while making efforts to achieve the goals suitable to both of them. He is considerate to the community interests. He does not overlook the followers’ intentions. He works harder for the community goals. ? Honesty: He is loyal and honest. Honesty is essential to be an ethical and effective leader. Honest leaders can be always relied upon and depended upon. They always earn respect of their followers. An honest leader presents the fact and circumstances truly and completely, no matter how critical and harmful the fact may be. He does not misrepresent any fact. Ethical Leadership Theories Ethical leadership theories fall into two categories ? Leader’s conduct (The actions and behaviour of leaders) Consequences (Theological theories) – Focus on what is right and what is wrong. A. Ethical Egoism – An individual should act to create the greatest good for themselves. The leaders should take a career that they would selfishly enjoy. This is closely related to transactional leadership theories. For example, a middle-level manager who wants their team to be the best in the company is acting out of ethical egoism. B. Utilitarianism – We should act to create the greatest good for the greatest number. Maximize the social benefits while minimizing the social costs. Example: when the US government allocates a large portion of the federal budget to the health care instead of catastrophic illness, it is acting out of the utilitarian ethics. C. Altruism – This is the opposite of Ethical Egoism and is concerned with showing the best interest for others even when it runs contrary to self-interest. Authentic transformational leadership is based on altruistic behaviour. i. ii. Duty (Deontological Theories) A. This is telling the truth, keeping promises, being fair, independent of the consequences. B. Actions should not infringe on others’ rights and should not further the moral rights of others. ? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Leader’s character (the personality and character of leaders) Virtue-based theories These are not innate, but can be acquired. They are rooted in heart of the individual and in their disposition. It focuses on telling people â€Å"what to be† as opposed of â€Å"what to do† Examples include courage, temperance, generosity, self-control, sociability, modesty, fairness, and justice. This theory is about being and becoming a worthy human being. honesty, The 4-V Model of Ethical Leadership The 4-V Model of Ethical Leadership is a framework that aligns the internal (beliefs and values) with the external (behaviours and actions) for the purpose of advancing the common good. The model was created by Center founder Dr. Bill Grace based on his formal leadership research and personal passions around faith and ethics. Figure 1: 4-V Model of Ethical Leadership ? ? ? ? Values. Ethical leadership begins with an understanding of and commitment to our individual core values. By first discovering the values at the core of our identities, we begin the process of integrating our unique values with our choice-making on all levels of our personal and civic lives. Vision. Vision is the ability to frame our actions – particularly in service to others – within a real picture of what ought to be. Voice. Claiming our voice is the process of articulating our vision to others in an authentic and convincing way that animates and motivates them to action. Virtue. Understanding that we become what we practice, we foster virtue by practicing virtuous behaviour – striving to do what is right and good. In this way, we develop the character of virtue. In particular, virtue stands for the common good. Ethical leaders ask, â€Å"How are my values, vision and voice in keeping with the common good? † Principals of Ethical Leadership Peter G. Northouse has listed five principles of ethical leadership (4). You read "Ethical Leadership" in category "Papers" Actually the origins of these can be traced back to Aristotle. These principles provide a foundation for the development of sound ethical leadership: respect, serves, justice, honesty and community. Figure 2: Five Different Principals of Ethical Leadership (4) 1) Ethical leaders respect others Immanuel Kant argues that it is our duty to treat others with respect. One should treat others as ends in itself and never as means to an end. Beauchamp and Bowie (1988) pointed out that â€Å"Persons must be treated as having their autonomously established goals and must never be treated purely as the means to another person’s goals. † Leaders who respect also allow others to be themselves. They approach others with a sense of unconditional worth and value individual differences (Kitchener, 1984). Respect means giving credence to others’ ideas and confirming them as human beings. A leader should nurture followers in becoming aware of their own needs, values, and purposes. Respect means that a leader listens closely to their subordinates, is empathetic, and tolerant to opposing views. When a leader exhibits respect, subordinates feel competent about their work. 2) Ethical leaders serve others Serve others is based on the concern for others (Ethical egoism) and also an example of altruism. Example of this can be observed in mentoring, empowerment, behaviours, and team building. Serving others is a similar concept to the â€Å"Beneficence† that is taught to health professionals. Senge contended that one of the important tasks of leaders in earning organizations is to be a steward (servant) of the vision within the organization and highlights the importance of not being self-centered, but integrating one’s self or vision with the vision of the organization. 3) Ethical leaders are Just Justice demands that leaders place the issue of just at the center of their decision making. No one should be treated differently unless their particular situa tion demands it and if that is the case, then the rules for differential treatment should be made clear. Good leaders are those who never have favourites and will treat all the employees equally. The golden rule (Rawls, 1971) is to â€Å"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you† (5). The principles of distributive justice includes: ? To each person, and equal share. ? According to individual needs. ? According to that person’s rights. ? According to individual efforts. ? According to societal contribution. ? According to merit. 4) Ethical leaders are honest Being honest is not just about telling the truth. It has to do with being open with others, representing reality as fully and a completely as possible. There are times of course where telling the complete truth can be destructive and counterproductive. The challenge is to strike a balance. It is important for leaders to be authentic, but sensitive to the attitudes and feelings of others. Dalla Costa (1998) made a point in the Ethical Imperative book (6). â€Å"Do not promise what you can’t deliver, do not misrepresent, do not hide behind spin-doctored evasions, do not suppress obligations, do not evade accountability, do not accept the ‘survival of the fittest’ pressures† 5) Ethical leaders build community Leadership is often defined as the â€Å"process of influencing others to reach a common or communal goal. This definition has a clear ethical dimension. The common goal implies that leaders and followers agree on the directions of the group. Ethical leadership demands attention to civic virtue (Rost, 1991). This means that both leaders and followers need to attend to community goals and not just their mutually determined goals. Ethical Leadership in an Organization Following are the key elements of et hical leadership in organizations and these must be served in the organization to develop the ethical culture which leads to the nourishment of organization as well as of employees. Modelling Ethics If you want your workers to behave ethically, you must behave in that manner. Serve as a model of ethics for your workers by telling them that you expect them to behave in an ethical manner and doing so yourself. For example, if the opportunity to gain advantage over a competitor presents itself, but this advantage would have to be obtained in an unethical manner, decline the opportunity and stick to your principles. Giving Employees Voice Ethical organizations value all employees. Show your workers that they are more than just numbers but instead valuable parts of your business by empowering them and giving them a voice in your decision-making process. Establish a comment box and create an open-door policy in which you encourage all workers to come to you with issues of concern. Considering Impact of Decisions While it can be difficult to see past the bottom line when making decisions that relate to your business, doing so is necessary if you are seeking to establish a workplace rich in ethics. Before making any decision, consider the impact that that decision could have on your employees and customers and allow the degree of this impact to inform your decisionmaking process. Promoting Community Involvement While your business has no requirement to be involved in the community, doing so is an ethical choice. Donate goods to area charitable organizations, and encourage employees to volunteer their time. Offer an incentive to employees who volunteer, such as allowing them to do so while technically on the clock or making it a point to publicly recognize employees who are giving of their time. Responsible Sourcing When seeking goods necessary to make your product or complete the services you perform, source them responsibly. Consider where each of these products comes from, and do business only with other companies that, like you, have ethical principles in play within the workplace. For example, if you discover that one of the providers of the products you use regularly is not providing its employees with safe working conditions, seek another vendor to separate yourself from this fellow business owner who is not behaving ethically. The Importance of Ethical Leadership One of the survey conduct by the Corporate Executive Board released data showing companies with strong ethical cultures, open communication and managers who model corporate values, delivered shareholder returns that averaged 5 percent higher than peers; improved worker productivity of more than 12 percent. And such companies were 67 percent less likely to observe instances of business misconduct than those at companies with low integrity cultures. So from this example we can say that how crucial is the ethical leadership in various rganizations. The following are the some more reasons why ethical leadership is very much important in organizations. 1. Ethical leadership models ethical behaviour to the organization and the community. Leaders are role models. If you want your organization or initiative – and those who work in it – to behave ethically, then it’s up to you to model ethical behaviour. A leader – and an organi zation – that has a reputation for ethical behaviour can provide a model for other organizations and the community, as well. 2. Ethical leadership builds trust. Leadership – except leadership gained and maintained through the use of force and intimidation – is based on trust. People will follow an ethical leader because they know they can trust him to do the right thing as he sees it. 3. Ethical leadership brings credibility and respect, both for you and the organization. If you’ve established yourself as an ethical leader, individuals and groups within and outside the organization, will respect you and your organization for your integrity. 4. Ethical leadership can lead to collaboration. Other organizations will be much more willing to collaborate with you if they know that you’ll always deal with them ethically. 5. Ethical leadership creates a good climate within the organization. If everyone in the organization knows that power will be shared and not abused, that they’ll be dealt with respectfully and straightforwardly, that they’ll have the power to do their jobs, and that the organization as a whole will operate ethically in the community, they’re likely to feel more secure, to work well together, and to be dedicated to the organization and its work. . If you have opposition, or are strongly supporting a position, ethical leadership allows you to occupy the moral high ground. This is especially important if your opposition is ethical as well. You can look very small in comparison if your ethical standards are not up to theirs, discrediting your cause and alienating your allies. 7. Ethical leadership is simply the right way to go. Every one has an obligation to themselves, to their organization, to the community, and to society to develop a coherent ethical system that seeks to make the world a better place. Leaders, for the reasons already stated, and because of the responsibilities of leadership, have a particular obligation in this respect. 8. Ethical leadership affords self-respect. Because you know that you consistently consider the ethics of your decisions, actions, and interactions, you can sleep at night and face yourself in the morning without questioning your own integrity. How to become ethical leader? The following are examples of values. You might use these as the starting point for discussing values within your organization: ambition, competency, individuality, equality, integrity, service, responsibility, accuracy, respect, dedication, diversity, improvement, enjoyment/fun, loyalty, credibility, honesty, innovativeness, teamwork, excellence, accountability, empowerment, quality, efficiency, dignity, collaboration, stewardship, empathy, accomplishment, courage, wisdom, independence, security, challenge, influence, learning, compassion, friendliness, discipline/order, generosity, persistency, optimism, dependability, flexibility As a leader, choose the values and the ethics that are most important to you, the values and ethics you believe in and that define your character. Then live them visibly every day at work. Living your values is one of the most powerful tools available to you to help you lead and influence others. Don’t waste your best opportunity. Psychologist James Rest identified four psychological components which are very important for becoming an Ethical Leader and to be morally mature: moral sensitivity, moral judgment, moral motivation, and moral character. So to become an ethical leader, person must have the traits and principals which are explained above. Conclusion Leadership is a privilege and a responsibility that demands a good deal from those who have it, whether formally or informally. High on that list of demands is the need to be ethical, both in personal life and in leadership. Because leaders are role models whether they choose to be or not, they set the tone for the ethical stance of their individual followers, of the organization or group they lead, and, to some extent, of the larger community. Ethical leadership requires from the leader a coherent ethical framework that will guide her decisions and actions all the time, not only in specific situations. Among the most important of the characteristics that define an ethical leader are openness and honesty; the willingness to make the discussion of ethical issues and decisions a regular part of the organizational or group conversation and culture; the urge to mentor others o lead; the drive to maintain and increase competence; the capacity to accept and seriously consider feedback, both positive and negative; the ability to put aside personal interest and ego in the interest of the cause or organization; the appropriate use of power, which is never abused or turned toward the leader’s own ends. â₠¬Å"A man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world. † By Albert Camus References 1. Michel Dion, (2012) â€Å"Are ethical theories relevant for ethical leadership? † Leadership Organization Development Journal, Vol. 33 Iss: 1, pp. 4 – 24. 2. By Karinlynn, Sep 2008, â€Å"Deontological vs. Teleological Ethical Systems†. 3. Robert Greenleaf, â€Å"The Servant as Leader (Minnesota: The Robert K. Greenleaf Center, 1970)†. 4. Peter G. Northouse Nov 2008, â€Å"Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice†. 5. John Rawls, (1971) â€Å"A Theory of Justice† Harvard University Press. 6. John Dalla Costa 1998 â€Å"The Ethical Imperative: Why Moral Leadership Is Good Business†. 7. Bill Grace, (1990) â€Å"The 4-V Model of Ethical Leadership†. 8. Chris Raymond, (2011) â€Å"Ethical Leadership in a Global Marketplace†. 9. B. M. Bass Steidlmeier, (1999) â€Å"Ethics, character and authentic transformational leadership behaviour†. Leadership Quarterly, 10(2), 181-217. 10. K. S. Kitchener, (1984) â€Å"Intuition, critical evaluation and ethical principles: The foundation for ethical decisions in counselling psychology†. Counselling Psychologist, 12(3), 43-55. 11. P. Senge, (1990). â€Å"The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization†. New York: Doubleday. How to cite Ethical Leadership, Papers

Social Security Tax System Essay Example For Students

Social Security Tax System Essay Revamping Our Future Social Security Tax SystemThispaper will discuss the current United States Social Security Tax system, thepurpose of that system and our goal for selecting this topic. Also, it willexplain our analysis of its current standing, different ideas about what tochange in our current standing to secure and guarantee a strong future for it. We will conclude by recommending the best course to accomplish this goal. Contents Abstract 2 Contents 3 Title 4 Current U.S.A. Social Security Tax System4 Low Risk Investment 7 High Risk Investment 8 Graph: Social Security TaxIncreases 9 Conclusion/Recommendations 11 References 12 Revamping Our SocialSecurity Tax System to Secure its future Current U.S.A. Social Security TaxSystem Social Security has been around for more than 60 years. It has been animportant part of American life. It was created in 1935 shortly after the greatdepression. Social Security was created to be a protection for the Americanpeople against the hazards of unemployment, old age, and ill health. TodaySocial Security not only provides minimum protection for the retired worker, italso provides benefits for workers and their families due to death of a familywage earner or loss of income due to disability. Today there are about 150million workers who are protected by social security, more than 44 millionreceive retirement, survivors and disability benefits form social security. American wage earners and their families are protected by social security andthey pay taxes to help make the system work. There are two philosophies SocialSecurity bases its payments on. First, the system is designed so that there is alink between how much a wage earner pays into the system and how much he or shewill receive in benefits. For example, a high wage earner will receive morebenefits while a low wage earner will receive less. Second, a base for economicsecurity is provided by the Social Security system. Social Security provides avaluable package of retirement, disability and survivors insurance, whichrelieves families of financial burdens from supporting other family members. Social Security has made an enormous difference in the lives of older Americans. American workers can retire as early as age 62. At this age, wage earners areeligible to get reduced benefits from Social Security. Wage earners may wait forfull retirement age to be eligible for full retirement benefits. Currently, fullretirement age is 65, but will be moved up gradually starting in 2003. The newretirement age will be 67 for people born in 1960 or later. Social benefitspayments are paid out to more than 9 in 10 retirees. In America, only 11 percentof senior citizens live in poverty. Without Social Security benefits, thepercentage of seniors living in poverty would be much higher. Social Security isthe major source of income for about two-thirds of elderly Americans, and forabut a third Social Security is virtually their only source of income. RetiredAmericans are given a dependable monthly income from Social Security. Automaticincreases are tied to increases in the cost of living. Social Security givesretired American citizens a measure of deserved financial indepen dence (and thatmeasure is becoming lower every year). Social Security is more than a retirementprogram. It is also a protection plan for American citizens. Valuable disabilityand survivors insurance protection are given to younger wage earners and theirfamilies. There are about 1 in 3 workers who are Social Security beneficiariesthat are not retired. Monthly survivors benefits are given to about 7.5 millionpeople and more than 6 million workers and family members receive disabilitybenefits. Social Security provides a foundation on which to build retirementsecurity. Social Security, pensions and savings is a three-legged financialstool for a comfortable retirement. Unfortunately, there is only a little morethan half of all workers whose employers have pension plans; and people are notsaving for their future retirement. Pre-retirement earnings for the averageworker are about 40 percent, provided by Social Security. Financial advisors saythat the average worker will need 70 percent of pre- retirement earnings to livecomfortably. Saving is an important part of retirement planning. Social Securitywill begin mailing statements to workers age 25 and older. The statement willshow a workers earnings history, as well as giving estimates of retirement,survivors and disability benefits. This statement will help with futurefinancial planning. Demographics have been the main reason for Social Securityslong-range financing problem. People, today, are living longer and healthierlives. In 1935, when Social Security was created, a 65-year-old persons averagelife expectancy was 12 1/2 more years. Today, it is about 17 1/2 years andraising. And to add to this, at about 2010, 76 million baby boomers will beretiring. There will be nearly twice as many older Americans as there is todayin about 30 years. And at the same time, the number of wage earners payingSocial Security taxes, per beneficiary, will drop form 3.3 to 2. Americasretirement system will be strained caused by these cha nges. SocialSecurity is an economic compact among generations. Many people think that theirSocial Security tax contributions are held in interest-bearing accountsearmarked for their own future retirement needs. Social Security is actually anintergenerational compact the Social Security taxes paid by todays workersand their employers go mostly to fund benefit payments for toadys retirees. A Review Of Ralph Elisons Invisible Man EssayThe president says this course of action will keep Social Security solvent until2055. At the heart of his plan is a proposal to allocate 11 percent of surplusesto create universal savings accounts. These government-subsidizedUSA accounts: would help individuals save for retirement. A portion ofindividual savings in the accounts would receive matching federal funds. Inaddition, Clinton says he is dedicated to working with Congress on a bipartisanplan that would shore up Social Security until 2075. These negotiations willinvolve controversial issues, whether to raise taxes, slash benefits or raisethe retirement age. Some Republicans, most notably in the House, prefer thatsome of the surplus be returned to taxpayers in the form of tax cuts. Thetaxpayers would then be free to invest this money as they choose, possibly inhigh-yield private savings accounts. But many lawmakers across the politicalspectrum say that cutting taxes would be tantam ount to squandering the surplus. These lawmakers generally agree that the current budget surplus presents anhistoric opportunity to shore up the disintegrating Social Security system. Republicans have said that they are reserving H.R. 1 for legislation based onthe presidents Social Security plan, when and if it is offered. This Policy.comSpecial Report examines the present and future of the embattled Social Securitysystem. Focusing first on the workings of the system, this report explores theleading reform and privatization proposals being discussed in Washington. Thereport also features an examination of how Social Security effects women andminorities, links to Social Security calculators, polls and Policy.com featureevents on retirement security and Social Security reform. Conclusion/Recommendations We feel that something must be done to the SocialSecurity Tax System, especially as it stands now, to secure a bright and strongfuture. We feel that the Keynesian approach, with a mixed investment base byeach individual will satisfy its future. References Social Security. (1999). TheFuture of Social Security . Available: http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/1055.html. Apfel, K.S. (1998). President Clintons State of the Union. Available: http://ssa.gov/press/state_of union_ press.html . Social Security at the Crossroads, Amy Steinhttp (Online). http://www.policy.com/issuewk/1999/0306_60/Intro60.htmlBibliographyReferences Social Security. (1999). The Future of Social Security . Available: http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/1055.html . Apfel, K.S. (1998). President Clintons State of the Union . Available: http://ssa.gov/press/state_ofunion_ press.html . Social Security at the Crossroads, AmySteinhttp (Online). http://www.policy.com/issuewk/1999/0306_60/Intro60.html