In that case, we already have this today: At the state level, most citizens have a Drivers license or State ID, both of which have a unique ID. At the federal level, all US passports have a unique Passport Number. Granted, not all citizens have a passport, but that system is in place to grant citizens unique identifiers.

And yet we still have identity issues. So this is part of the solution.

> Even if those are compromised, that doesn't mean it has to be easy to impersonate you. The solution may be low-tech - you may have to physically present yourself to a human who assesses if you are indeed who you say you are before opening an account. The higher tech solution physical authentication might require something akin to chip-and-pin or a (revocable) token generator a la Ubikey

This is a great idea. I believe France's healthcare system requires every citizen to have a card [1], which uses a chip and pin tech to authenticate the person with their doctor. This could be used for online services or over the phone too.

What the US needs is a branch specifically for administring these "identity cards". The Social Security Administration could be rebranded to an "Identity Administration" or something, then they will manage the distribution and revocation / recycling of these national ID cards.

But for some reason Americans get spooked when you say the words "National ID". Something about how "socialism is bad" and all that.

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carte_Vitale