Whether or not you think Social Security can accurately be described as a “Ponzi scheme,” as Rick Perry charges, most would agree that using the term is a politically risky move.
But perhaps not quite as risky as we may think, at least according to a Rasmussen survey from last fall, triggered by now-senator Ron Johnson using the term:
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes a Ponzi scheme as “an investment swindle in which some early investors are paid off with money put up by later ones in order to encourage more and bigger risks.”
Wisconsin Republican Senate candidate Ron Johnson made waves with his recent description of the Social Security system as a Ponzi scheme, but new Rasmussen Reports polling finds that just 27% of Likely U.S. Voters agree with him. A nationwide telephone survey shows that 36% disagree and don’t believe Social Security is a Ponzi scheme.
However, a plurality of 37% aren’t sure. It is likely that many are not sure what a Ponzi scheme is.