Americans
Discuss
Social
Security

Americans Discuss Social Security (ADSS) directly engaged Americans of all walks of life in a national dialogue about Social Security reform and urged Congress to support legislation that reflected citizen preferences. Over 15 months, the project engaged nearly 50,000 Americans in 50 states in direct discussions on Social Security reform and more than 12 million through the project’s media and public education efforts. Over the course of the process that concluded in 1999, President Bill Clinton and 120 members of Congress actively participated in town meetings and teleconferences, giving them a unique opportunity to discuss the issue with a diverse group of constituents.

The national conversation included a pioneering online dialogue that engaged thousands of Americans across the nation. Online participants were recruited through an outreach effort that included 175 national organizations and an advertising campaign. 1,500 people actively took part in the discussions and 10,000 people observed the dialogue as it took place. Moderated online round tables with Members of Congress and policy experts enabled participants to ask questions and dialogue with national leaders on the topic.

ADSS had an immediate and direct impact on the Social Security debate. The project demonstrated the intense public interest in the future of Social Security reform and showed that Americans had more of a “middle ground” approach than special interests or lawmakers had believed. For example, contrary to insiders’ expectations, participants overwhelmingly supported raising the cap on payroll taxes. These results were considered credible because of ADSS’ neutral stance on the issue, the diversity of participants, and lawmakers’ direct involvement in the process. Eventually, each of the major reform proposals being considered by policymakers included raising the cap on payroll taxes.