Social Security and Medicare are part of the retirement security social contract the government has with the American people, but without action from Congress, Trustees of Social Security and Medicare predict shortfalls within the next decade. This Essay begins with a look at the social contract generally, then as applied to Social Security and Medicare. Focusing on Social Security, the Essay explores the reasons for the creation of Social Security and its foundational importance to Americans of all ages, the economy, and social policy. The Essay examines the promises made by various U.S. presidents to the American people, arguing that those promises create an obligation to the American people and are not just political posturing. After examining the addition of Medicare to the retirement security social policy, the Essay considers the forces contributing to the coming shortfalls, including how prior administrations had responded, and argues that when Congress makes changes to the programs, Congress must be guided by the purposes and principles of the programs and the social contract between the government and the people.

Post-appointment rights for an adult under guardianship allow the adult to exercise as much autonomy and independence as possible, while providing the adult with dignity. Although all post-appointment rights are important, this article focuses on four: (1) listing the rights and notifying the adult and their surrogates of these post-appointment rights; (2) the post-appointment rights of the adult to marry and to obtain a divorce; (3) the adult’s right of visitation with others; and (4) the adult’s right to seek termination of a guardianship. Recommendations from the authors focus on increasing the protections for adults with these post-appointment rights