What if Social Security was never created? What effects does this have on voting patterns, people's views on the role of government, people moving out of their parents' home, etc.?
 
What if Social Security was never created? What effects does this have on voting patterns, people's views on the role of government, people moving out of their parents' home, etc.?

For one, higher fertility rates. Social Security basically eliminated the need for people to depend on their children in their elderly age, which was/has been a factor in reducing birthrates.
 
Perhaps, but in industrial nations birth rates declined in step with the growth of industrial urban populations. The larger the proportion of the population in urban environments the lower the birthrate. This phenomena is apparent in European demographics before social security type systems were put in place.

2. Somewhat less consumer spending & increased savings and small investment as people try to substitute their own plans with the money not going into SS contributions. In theory this means more capitol for investment, but I'm thinking that the relationship between increased investment funds and bad investment failures and bubbles would hold up.

3. People unable to save up retirement funds will increase the public health burden, and die younger. I've worked with a couple social service non profits in the past two decades & the relationship between income and health becomes blindingly obvious after a while. As the individual worker passes age fifty their health connects closely to their income & this becomes critical to their health when they reach their sixties. The segment of the population that is unable or unwilling to save for retirement is very likely to suffer increased health issues if they lack a SSI back up. So increased health costs overall and a shorter average life span.

4. The healthy older workers will remain in competition with younger. This slows upwards mobility for the younger workers.
 
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