Social Security Act (1935)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (42 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
Enacted during the Great Depression to provide a federal safety net for the elderly, unemployed, and disadvantaged. It created programs for old-age pensions, unemployment insurance, and welfare benefits.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Before 1935, social welfare programs were largely state or local. The Act marked a major expansion of federal responsibility for economic security.