Social Security in U.S. - Free Essay Example

Introduction Social security is a program by the federal government that provides an income source for you or your legal dependents that is children, spouse or parents if they qualify for benefits. Also, it can be defined as any of the established measures by legislation to maintain a family or individual income or to provide income when all or some income sources are terminated or disrupted or when hefty expenditures have to be incurred. Social security may offer cash benefits to persons faced with unemployment, sickness, disability, loss of the marital partner, crop failure, and retirement from work or maternity (Livingston, 2008). Benefits of social security may be provided in cash or by court order in compensation for claims. Social Security is facing a lot of problems currently in U.S. and serious interventions need to be fixed in determination of its future benefit. Social security faces severe financial challenges. The present structure of the program known as pay as you go will be unsuitable as the number of elderly people receiving benefits rises in coming decades. Social security will be only able to pay a fraction of benefits promised to future retirees unless the program is restructured. Additionally, the increasing costs of social security will damage the economy and create pressures to impose a large increase of tax on workers. Federal policymakers have discussed revamping Social Security for years, but they have not acted on reforms (Moon Conference on Social Accounting for Transfers, 2004). Many other countries have indicated that privatized retirement systems based on personal accounts can benefit retirees, workers, and the overall economy. America has the chance now to phase out the old-fashioned Social Security system based on government control and taxes and move to a system where individuals possess full charge of their future of finances. The problems the Social Security is facing in the US include; A falling worker-to beneficiary ratio; this is due to demographic shift known as the retirement of baby boomers (Moon Conference on Social Accounting for Transfers, 2004). This shows that there wont be enough payroll tax revenue incurred to support the increasing number of beneficiary payments. Another problem the Social security is undergoing is raising life expectancies. There is a proven improved life expectancy, and the architects of Social Security didnt predict that there will be an improvement of life expectancies by as the number evidenced. This has led to people living longer than ever and able to attain social security payments a long period. Furthermore, congressional stalemate is another big issue for social security. Congress doesnt seem to rush to correct what seems to be an imminent shortfall of cash for the program (Livingston, 2008). Consumers will continue to suffer as long as Congress will not make any progress on getting a solution implemented. Also, near- record- low bond yields is another problem since low-interest rates have had the negative impact on people and funds looking to make money from fixed income assets. The recommendation and the operationalization to address these problems is by increasing Social Security taxes. The workers pay 6.3% currently of their earnings into the Social Security system. If that tax rate were increased gradually to 7.3% percent, it would eliminate like half of the Social Security deficit. Lifting the payroll tax cap also is another recommendation. Lifting the payroll tax cap is a popular idea having 69% of Americans supporting the full elimination of the cap. Raising the retirement age to 68 by the year 2028 it would reduce benefit by 6% and eliminate 16% of Social Security funding shortfall (Livingston, 2008). Moreover, The US Social Security Administration should create a data-driven process to support the development of methods in screening criteria for recognizing people at high risk for financial incapability. The U.S. Social Security Administration should also ensure systematic development mechanisms for identifying and responding to changes in the capability of beneficiaries over time. This can be done through implementation of a process to survey beneficiaries and payees periodically that could trigger the important to further investigate the financial capability of the beneficiaries. Conclusion Unless the U.S. acts, the discussed problems and immense demographic changes will bring the Social Security program to its knees. Without action, the presently pledged benefits under Social Security are a promise U.S. cannot keep. Fixing the above recommended options will help to close the challenges facing the Social Security in the United States since it is the foundation of economic security for millions of Americans. References Livingston, S. G. (2008). U.S. social security: A reference handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO. Moon, M., Conference on Social Accounting for Transfers. (2004). Economic transfers in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

The Changing Sea Essay - 1100 Words

The Changing Sea (Essay Sample) Content: The Changing SeaName:Course:Institution:Instructor:Date:The Changing Sea: Expanding Dead ZonesIntroduction:Global warming and climate change are some of the severe environmental problems facing the world today (Johansen, 2009). As a result of global warming, temperatures are rising gradually, and this is affecting oceans life negatively due to the creation, and expansion of dead zones. A dead zone is characterized by a decline of oxygen levels, and in return, aquatic animals begin to migrate to other parts that support life (Heikkinen ClimateWire, 2015). Oxygen is essential to life among human beings and animals, and any decline will cause animals, and men to abandon their known habitats. In the Changing Sea documentary, it is evident that as the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s temperatures rise, water temperatures are also increasing causing low oxygen into the water. Expanding dead zones have left many species dead, and others have migrated to other oceans and sea in search of life. This essay seeks to discuss the element of expanding dead zones as a result of increased global warming.For life to be supported in any habitat, oxygen must be available in adequate quantity. Any change in the oxygen levels will cause animals to move away from their habitat in search better habitations especially in the marine ecosystem (Heikkinen ClimateWire, 2015). From the documentary, global warming has led to an increase in dead zones. Some creatures have disappeared, died, and others like the Humboldt squid have migrated from their equatorial waters to the coast of British Columbia. Migration Humboldt squid is an alarming issue because this shows that something is wrong with ocean life. Habitations and water bodies possess unique characteristics to support the different form of lives. Hence, any change in primary habitats due to the small provision of oxygen, and food can cause animals to migrate to other ecosystems.Nature of dead zonesOne of the forms of dead zones is the rapid disappearance of some species due to oxygen depletion. Any reduction of oxygen causes death to some of the unfortunate species like worms, but some species respond by migrating to other better ecosystem (Schiermeier, 2008). The case of Humboldt squid shows that Mexico waters have become a dead zone, and this animal has responded by moving to other waters with high oxygen, and food. Additionally, the disappearance of some species on the beautiful coast of California proves that the sea is changing for the worse. The presence of Humboldt squid on Vancouver Island is a clear sign that the ocean is changing, and the change is not positive (Buffie, Underwood, 2010). Human lives are intertwined with lives in the ocean, and any change in the ocean has a direct impact on human habitat. For example, water pollution has left oceans and seas highly toxic to fish, and other animals to live in such waters.Changes in the sea have resulted in the formation of dead zones in the cor al reef, and this is a negative aspect because thousand of species are forced to migrate to other places (Desonie, 2008). This migration is a negative aspect because some deadly animals move closer to human beings like the sharks in North Carolina that have terrorized the public (National Geographic, 2015). The coral reef is the largest aquatic ecosystem housing thousands of marine animals, and formation and expansion of dead zones is a negative element to the future of aquatic lives (Desonie, 2008). For instance, this is a home to one -third of all fish species. Oxygen reduction means that a lot of fish species will die while others will move to other ecosystems in search for survival.Consequently, heavy metals deposited in rivers, seas, and oceans have taken -up all the oxygen in the water, forming acidic water. For instance, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides byproducts from industry have led to the creation of acidic waters that cannot support life. As a result of water acidit y caused by water pollution, fish have high toxins such as mercury that is fatal to human beings. More so, water acidity is increasing at an alarming rate due to the emission of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide levels are extremely high in the last couple of decades, and this has affected water PH. For example, Bay of Naples has been acidic for millennium, and many more water bodies are becoming acidic, killing any form of life (Buffie, Underwood, 2010). Enhancing balance in water chemistry is core in life because any harmful changes affect both aquatic animals and human beings.Formation of dead zones in the seas is changing how the sea works because every ecosystem is crucial to setting a balanced ecology in the world. Planktons are fundamental organisms to ocean life. These microorganisms play a great role in the formation of half of the oxygen used by living things (Dybas, 2005). Hence, any change in the sea or ocean ecology means that these organisms are af fected as well resulting in the formation of numerous dead zones. Life at sea and land are intertwined, and a change in one affects the other since all ecosystems are connected, and organism work together to build balance (Dybas, 2005).Evidence for dead zonesOne of the facts about the dead zones change is the decline of life in the Gulf of Mexico due to oxygen depletion. According to Gulick, Gulf of Mexico has insufficient oxygen, and it have become inhabitable to many marine animals. The primary cause of oxygen depletion is human activities such as pollution in the Mississippi River with heavy metals, and toxic and substances (Gulick, (nd).Evidence problemsThe Gulf of Mexico is one of the highly affected water bodies, and its waters have failed to support marine life. Expansion of dead zones has resulted in the massive movement of thousands of species to other ecosystems, but some species have perished (British Geological Survey, 2015). It is evident that human beings are the pri mary cause of changes in the sea; the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is a product of pollution in the Mississippi (Gulick, nd). This evidence is reliable because there are numerous researches regarding this affected Americas coastal water with high oxygen depletion. Scientists argue that this dead zone have led to the death of some marine lives, and the displacement of many others species such as fish, which can swim out of the dead zone. The sea is changing, and this is the affecting food chain, and habitat for millions of marine species (Fares, El-Kadi, 2008).However, this evidence has some problems because this water body is mostly affected during the spring season mainly (Gulick, nd). Nitrogen deposits from industrial wastes cause algae, and other phytoplankton blooms. Planktons are essential for oxygen production, but overproduction of these organisms can affect ocean ecology negatively. As Planktons die or are eaten away by microorganismsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ organisms, these bacte ria increases, and taken up the oxygen at the surface of the sea. Hence, there is a decline in low oxygen to fish and other marine species, and the formation of dead zones. The seasonal dead zo...