I wonder if social programs were pulled then people would push harder for changes, unions, benefits, etc. As it stands now the social programs keep people pacified.
It's notable that several countries with very strong unions have no minimum wage because there's no feeling of need. Norway, for example, has less regulation of the labour market in this respect than the US (but much more in other areas) in large part because the unions have been strong enough to push through higher salaries without it.
But changing that in the US would be an incredibly long slog.
