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Why the Social Security Rollout Worked Better
The recent problems with rolling out the Affordable Care Act have led some to wonder why the advent of Social Security worked more smoothly. The data processing challenges associated with beginning the Social Security system were easily as great as with beginning Obamacare, but the Roosevelt Administration did a better job of proactively preparing than the Obama Administration has. Social Security’s creation was overseen by U.S. Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins. FDR sent her to Britain before the Social Security Act was passed to see firsthand how the government there managed the record keeping for its pension and unemployment systems. Perkins was shocked to discover that all of the needed information was being entered by hand on cards stored in the Public Records Office at Kew Gardens, a building that was not properly fireproofed. Read more…