Defaulting on the Social Security Trust Fund Bonds: Winners and Losers


 

Publication Date: July 2001

Publisher: Center for Economic and Policy Research

Author(s): Dean Baker

Research Area: Banking and finance

Keywords: Payroll tax; Wealth redistribution; Household income

Type: Report

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

The report provides an approximation of the redistribution that would result from the U.S. government's decision to default on the Social Security trust fund. Since such a default implies replacing progressive income taxes with a very regressive payroll tax, it leads to a substantial upward redistribution of income.