The Forward Party has rebranded its survey series exploring supporter opinions on policy issues, changing the name from Controlling What You Can to “Forward Thinking.” In the latest installment, the party revisited Social Security reform.
In an email to supporters this week, the Forward Party said the rebrand is intended to shift focus away from changes that are perceived as achievable and toward goals that supporters feel would make the United States “the best version of itself.” The party encouraged members to reflect on how they can improve their communities, prepare for the unforeseen, and consider what they owe to the country.
“We think of democracy as a verb, and that means everyone who loves America needs to work to improve it,” the party stated.
In the latest installment, the party revisited Social Security reform after a substantial number of respondents in an earlier survey preferred cutting funding rather than raising revenues. Among those who favored cuts, roughly a quarter identified Social Security, Medicare, and SNAP benefits as their preferred targets. Following that result, the party then asked supporters on X whether they would prefer either eliminating the tax cap, raising the Social Security tax rate, increasing the retirement age, or eliminating benefits for the wealthy.
Out of 2,243 votes, 43% supported eliminating benefits for the wealthy. That was followed by 36.4% who favored eliminating the tax cap, 16% who supported raising the retirement age, and 4.6% who supported increasing the tax rate. The party noted the top two responses demonstrate a “general desire” to focus the program on helping low-income individuals and “more than a baseline level of support” for raising the retirement age.
In a summary of comments, the party reported that numerous users viewed government management of the program as one of its biggest flaws. A portion of responses supported redirecting funds into private retirement accounts, while others called for an opt-out process that would allow individuals to leave the system entirely.
Among those who supported raising the retirement age, respondents pointed to longer life expectancy since the program’s creation and argued that a higher age would reduce financial pressure on the system. The party also noted that some supporters proposed replacing Social Security altogether with alternatives such as Universal Basic Income or a flat pension.
That rebrand looks like a “front-wheel-drive” dashboard idiot light.