Do you have an ID card in America? What documents do Americans use to prove their identity?

In American history, the federal government has never issued a unified national identity document. But in real life, there are three certificates, which play the role of identity cards to varying degrees.

The first is the driver's license. The second is the passport. The third is the social security number. During Roosevelt's New Deal, in order to establish a social security system, he proposed to establish a social security account for everyone who has a job. As soon as the idea came out, it was immediately opposed by the "privacy faction." Finally, Roosevelt compromised with Congress and promised that this number would only be used for social insurance, not for identification, and would be kept secret. This proposal was finally passed in Congress.

Strictly speaking, the social security number is not a unified identity document. Because it only records the name, there is no basic information such as gender, age, address and photos. Citizens don't need to carry it with them. This number is clearly defined as personal privacy. 1974' s privacy law even has a special provision that "the threat of social security number to personal privacy should be controlled"