In the spirit of the season, the Washington Examiner has identified 12 issues we believe will shape and influence 2025 and beyond. The incoming Trump administration has made the fight against illegal immigration and the use of tariffs its flagship policy items. The U.S. will also possibly undergo a health revolution, while very real questions need to be answered on everything from Social Security reform to the military to the changing landscape of the energy sector. Part 3 is on Social Security.

Retirees make up a larger proportion of citizens than ever before after birth rates have sunk to historic lows over the past few years, hitting below the replacement rate that is needed to sustain the United States’s population.