Social policy programs and their implementation

Aging and Social Policy

Trends in Aging Social Policy

The Rise of the Contenders

The number of citizens above the age of 65 has expanded dramatically over the past 100 years. In 1900, the average life expectancy was just 47.3 years, but a child born in 2008 can expect to live another 30.8 years on average. From an economic perspective, the seniors alive 100 years ago were largely dependent on others for their survival and this realization triggered policy changes that provided many advantages, including a security net for retirees.

After World War II, the economy became robust enough that the aged began to experience a longer life expectancy and greater economic wealth. This resulted in the emergence of a politically powerful demographic that could begin to influence public policy on its own. This process has been viewed as cyclical, in that public policies strengthened a specific demographic and the demographic in turn protected and strengthened the public policies that provided them with advantages. At the beginning of the 21st century though, the economic realities facing the United States has again forced the aged to compete with younger citizens for a piece of the economic pie. For this reason, the aged of the 21st century are being called contenders.

Contending

During the past 100 years the aged have transitioned from disadvantaged to advantaged, and most recently to contenders. The contender status implies that the aged are in direct economic competition with other demographics for limited resources. This turn of events suggests that the privileged status the aged once enjoyed is being moderated by the right of children and younger citizens to take part in the American dream.

The theory that aged Americans have transitioned through advantaged status to contender is supported by the fact that as a voting bloc they have had the highest rates of participation since 1988. However, they represented only 16% of the voters in the 2008 general election. This suggests that all the attention given to seniors by politicians is disproportionate given how many votes are available. The disproportionate attention is due in part to the perception that aged voters are more responsive to campaigning messages, more accessible, and more predictable, because they are viewed as 'program constituents.' What this means is that aged voters will vote to protect the policies that give them economic advantages, such as Social Security, Medicare, and other retirement programs.

In the 2010 midterm and 2012 general elections, aged voters predominantly supported Republican candidates, whereas voters under the age of 40 supported Democrats. This has been interpreted as a response to passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) and its demonization by the Republican Party. The negative spin included allegations of 'death panels' and cuts to Medicare, and has been blamed for the sharp increase in Republican support by the 65 and over crowd. This suggests that aged voters are indeed contenders in the 21st century and are fighting back against perceived cuts to the programs they depend on.

Aging in Place

The Americans with Disability Act of 1990 (ADA) brought about significant changes to the built environment that improved disabled access. Although a larger proportion of the aged population suffers from disabilities and other medical problems, the changes mandated by the ADA have not fully penetrated the places and avenues frequented by this demographic. Although progress is slow, there is growing concern that ADA mandates should be expanded to cover this demographic. Suggested policy changes include altering zoning and infrastructure to help the aged remain within their communities, better transportation services, and housing support programs.

The Impact of Values on Aging Policy

The Right to Self-Respect

Franklin Roosevelt stated that "… poverty in old age should not be regarded as a disgrace or necessarily as the result of a lack of thrift or energy […] it is merely a byproduct of modern industrial life & #8230;" While this sentiment may have lessened the moral burden the aged carried because of their poverty, it did little to lessen their poverty in the short-term. What this statement communicated to the general public though, was the intent by the New Dealers in Washington to attack this problem head on by changing public policy towards the aged.

Until enactment of the Social Security Act of 1935 (SSA), the aged were viewed as 'non-redeemable.' In other words, they could not be expected to earn their own way in life. This unique status helped the New Dealers get the SSA passed into law because it appealed to the widely held belief that the aged did not deserve to live in poverty. The imagined alternatives, such as leaving the aged to their own devices or warehousing them, made most citizens cringe, if not for sake of the aged then for own fate. The goal of the SSA was to provide enough support to reduce the prevalence of poverty among the aged, while providing them with a measure of self-sufficiency and its byproduct, self-respect.

The Burden of Self-Respect

Of course, when the SSA was passed in 1935 the aged represented less than 5% of the population. Based on the 2010 Census, the 65 and older group represented 13.0% of the population. By 2030, the proportion of the population over the age of 65 is expected to increase to 19% due to entry of the baby boom generation into retirement.

The expectation is that this trend will put an enormous stress on the U.S. economy. By the time ACA was signed into law by President Obama in 2010, close to 16% of the nation's gross domestic product was being spent on healthcare. By 2035, this percentage is expected to double. As the baby boom generation begins retirement over the next two decades, the public will increasingly shoulder the burden of health care costs for the aged.