Steven Hill, Senior Fellow, New America Foundation; Holtzbrinck Fellow, American Academy in Berlin; Author

Three-quarters of Americans depend heavily on Social Security in their elderly years and nearly half would be living in poverty without it. But as important and popular as it is, Social Security has become a political football. A well-financed campaign — supported by conservatives, special interest groups, and even leading Democrats — has lobbied for cuts and significant “entitlement reform,” falsely proclaiming that Social Security is going broke. Policy expert Steven Hill argues that Social Security not only should be defended, it should be substantially expanded.

Learn about his proposal to double the monthly benefit and how to pay for it by closing many of the tax loopholes and deductions that disproportionately favor the wealthy few.