Problem
Despite skepticism in some quarters of its longevity, the Social Security program is one of the most successful and popular public programs in the United States. Retirement systems are based on basic notions of the system's beneficiaries/recipients and the program's funding. Describe features of the Social Security program's beneficiaries (Who are they? How many? Are their numbers expanding or contracting and how fast? Are Social Security benefits per recipient increasing or decreasing and why?). Describe features of the Social Security program's funding (Where does the system get its revenue? Has this increased or decreased over time? What does the Social Security system do with the revenue?). What are incremental and non-incremental reforms to the system and what are their prospects for adoption?