Working Papers
A Network Approach to Geopolitics
Economics Working Paper 26127
October 16, 2026
Published February 20, 2024
Originally created to prevent senior poverty and offer a basic safety net, the entitlement system has expanded to provide extensive assistance across the income scale, with 60% of recipients nowhere near the poverty line, and $700 billion a year allocated to the top 50% of households; meanwhile programs like Social Security and Medicare supply generous lifetime benefits, such that a typical couple can expect to receive $1 million in payments. This substantial mission creep indicates the system's imbalance from its founding principles and a need to refocus spending on the core goals of old-age support and poverty relief.
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