Overview

Instructor Guide — Social Security Proto‑Fund Exercise

Module: Research Toolbox
Audience: Instructors, facilitators, AI agents
Purpose: Provide structural guidance for evaluating student work.


1. Learning Outcomes#

Students should demonstrate:

  1. Ability to construct the four‑source substrate.
  2. Correct use of RTT/1, RTT/2, RTT/3.
  3. Understanding of transfer‑system mechanics vs fund mechanics.
  4. Ability to identify coherence mismatches.
  5. Ability to integrate multiple modules (IE, MSM, GSM, Medicine, Philanthropy).
  6. Ability to classify Social Security as a proto‑fund structurally, not politically.

2. Instructor Notes by Section#

Section 1 — Substrate Setup#

Look for:

  • clear S1–S4 separation
  • no political or prescriptive language
  • recognition that Social Security is a transfer system, not an investment fund

Section 2 — RTT/1#

Correct answers identify:

  • actual inflow/outflow behavior
  • demographic deltas
  • trust‑fund adjustments
  • mismatch between forecasts and actuals

Avoid:

  • predictions
  • collapse narratives

Section 3 — RTT/2#

Students should classify the system as:

  • transitional, not collapsing
  • regime‑shift driven by demographics
  • structurally stable but adjusting

Section 4 — RTT/3#

Look for:

  • surface vs structural mismatch
  • resonance layer driven by perception
  • recognition that transfer systems have low resonance

Section 5 — Cross‑Module Integration#

Strong answers reference:

  • Inverted Economics: transfer vs fund
  • MSM: narrative amplification
  • GSM: politician benefits vs citizen benefits
  • Medicine: Medicare co‑evolution
  • Philanthropy: public‑good framing

Section 6 — Proto‑Fund Classification#

Correct structure:

“Behaves like a transfer system, described like a fund.”

Students should avoid:

  • political claims
  • policy recommendations

3. Evaluation Rubric (0–4 scale)#

Score Criteria
4 — Excellent Full RTT/1–3 usage, correct regime, clear coherence layers, accurate proto‑fund classification, strong cross‑module integration.
3 — Good Mostly correct, minor gaps, coherent reasoning.
2 — Partial Some RTT usage, but missing regime or coherence clarity.
1 — Minimal Surface‑level description, no triadic reasoning.
0 — Off‑track Political, prescriptive, or non‑structural.

4. Safety Notes#

  • Keep analysis non‑political and non‑financial.
  • No policy recommendations.
  • No collapse predictions.
  • Focus on structure, not ideology.

5. Instructor Summary#

This exercise teaches:

  • how to classify a public‑good system structurally
  • how to use RTT/1–3 in sequence
  • how to integrate multiple modules
  • how to maintain coherence and avoid drift

This is the canonical instructor guide for the proto‑fund exercise.