Both a groundbreaking history and an indispensable guide for anyone concerned about one of the biggest issues of the upcoming US elections. With 95% of Americans participating in the program, Social Security is the glue that binds the US together as a community. The 2012 election promises to be a kind of referendum on the size and role of government. Arguing to democratise, not disable the Social Security program, Eric Laursen suggests that the only future for it is to remove it from government hands altogether.