New York Times on Saturday Sept. 28, 2018
Graphic by Karl Russell
It’s no wonder that Social Security is politically contentious. The program’s reach is vast: More than 175 million workers contribute to it with every paycheck, and about 43 million retirees collect monthly benefits. For three in five older Americans, those checks account for more than half their income.
Every two years, voters — whether they already count on Social Security, expect to or question paying into the program — must try to make sense of competing claims about it and which lawmakers to entrust it to. This year’s midterm elections are no exception.
Speaking at a rally in Montana this month for a Republican Senate candidate, President Trump asserted that Democrats would “hurt your Social Security so badly.” Most Democrats have suggested preserving or expanding the program. Republicans generally favor scaling it back.
