ABSTRACT
The Social Security Act undoubtedly constitutes the political cornerstone of America's welfare programs. A product of the Great Depression, the act reflected a new philosophy of government contrasting sharply with the view President Pierce expressed in his veto of Dorothea Dix's legislation in 1854. The Great Depression strongly influenced public attitudes regarding the role of the federal government in welfare concerns. In addition to funds to pay for welfare, there had to be some foundation of social programs upon which the new programs could rest. Although their development was slow, by the time the Social Security Act became law; all states had some programs of public assistance in place. A method of spending federal money on public welfare had to be available. The foundation for federal spending in 1935, as it is today, was the Morrill Act. The 1935 Social Security Act turned a collection of state and local efforts to help the poor into a more comprehensive, national framework.
