Aging Nation: The Economics and Politics of Growing Older in America

(Hardback)

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With the impending retirement of some 76 million Baby Boomers, understanding the economic, political, and social issues related to the aging population is paramount. If the doom-and-gloomers have their way, the elderly will be put out to pasture, with inadequate health care and financial resources, and a crumbling social welfare system. In Aging Nation, renowed experts in the field, James Schulz and Robert Binstock, agree that there is considerable cause for concern, but with a variety of sound policies and programs in place and smart individual choices, the elderly can prosper, and a demographic tsunami is not inevitable. Drawing from the most current data, the authors provide in-depth analysis of the nation's evolving private and public policies on retirement, faltering employer pensions, health care, workplace conditions, and entitlement programs, and consider such timely issues as poverty among the elderly, rejoining the workforce after retirement, Social Security and health care reform, and the rise of the elderly as a powerful political force. Dispelling popular myths and misconceptions that are perpetrated by politicians and pundits alike, they provide a comprehensive and balanced assessment of the issues and their impact on everyone, old and young. Deserving poor or greedy geezers The debate rages on. In a period of huge government deficits and the impending retirement of some 76 million Baby Boomers, understanding the economic, political, and social issues related to the aging population is paramount. The policy debates have never been more contentious; they range from deciding who should receive limited subsidized housing and medical services to the ongoing battle over saving Social Security and other entitlement programs. If the doom-and-gloomers have their way, the elderly will be put out to pasture, with inadequate health care and financial resources, and a crumbling social welfare infrastructure that will implode under the strain of intergenerational conflict. This book debunks most aging crises put forth by merchants of doom and offers a new policy focus for our nation. In Aging Nation, renowned experts in the field, James Schulz and Robert Binstock, agree that there is considerable cause for concern, but with a variety of sound policies and programs in place and smart individual choices, the elderly can prosper, and a demographic tsunami is not inevitable. Drawing from the most current data, the authors provide in-depth analysis of the nation's evolving private and public policies on retirement, faltering employer pensions, health care, workplace conditions, and entitlement programs, and consider such timely issues as poverty among the elderly, rejoining the workforce after retirement, Social Security and health care reform, and the rise of the elderly as a powerful political force. Dispelling popular myths and misconceptions that are perpetrated by politicians and pundits alike, they provide a comprehensive and balanced assessment of these issues and their impact on everyone, old and young.

Reviews

At the core of Aging Nation is a description and assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of major programs affecting the elderly (past and current) and rising generations. . . . Chapters 3 through 9 offer the clearest, most judicious assessment of the U.S. political economy in an aging society that I have read. For the quality of these analytic chapters alone, Aging Nation merits wide classroom adoption in gerontology, policy, and social science classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels. * Journal of Aging and Social Policy *
[E]xtremely valuable and timely contributions to the struggle against the conservative attack on the nation's relatively modest efforts to ensure a minimum level of collective well-being. These books are analytically rigorous and lucid counterattacks against what Hacker calls the crusaders for personal responsibility and Schulz and Binstock call the merchants of doom.' (Reviewed in conjunction with The Great Risk Shift, Jacob S. Hacker, Oxford University Press.) * The Gerontologist *
Writing for the general public, Schulz and Binstock describe changes occurring in the US due to the aging of baby boomers and how their retirement decisions will be affected. They also discuss situations they will need to consider and address areas usually covered in separate books: Social Security history, policy issues, reform proposals, health care issues, work and retirement policy, private pensions, and the politics of aging. In particular, they aim to aid readers in figuring out the truth behind pessimistic warnings of future problems in health care and policy for the elderly and describe how these focus on the wrong issues. Instead, they focus on system-wide health-care cost issues, retirement and personal pensions, problems with raising the retirement age, and the myth that the country will be ruled by the aged. * Reference & Research Book News *
An insightful book about growing old in America by two of the country's leading policy gerontologists is must reading, especially because 76 million baby boomers are approaching retirement. Perhaps more to the point, can a balance be struck between the deserving poor and what is perceived to be greedy geezers. . . This is a remarkable book that merits our immediate and full attention. The authors point out that instead of giving in to negative Nellies, the time has come for expert analysis, balanced viewpoints and a united effort so that we can secure our futures. Dispelling popular myths and misconceptions, Aging Nation maps out a comprehensive, sensible plan that deserves our consideration. * Tucson Citizen (Arizona) *
. . . this book provides a well-reasoned and readable antidote to the more hyperbolic and even hysterical claims of the 'doomsayers' documented by the authors. But more more than that, this is a thorough, insightful, and readable analysis of the key elements of financial security in retirement--Social Security, private pensions, employment, and health and long-term care. * Journal of Pension Economics and Finance *

Author Bio

James H. Schulz is Emeritus Professor of Economics, Brandeis University. A former president of the Gerontological Society of America, and recipient of numerous awardsincluding the Kleemier Award for outstanding research in the field of aginghe has written extensively on aging, pensions, retirement, and social policy. His 17 books include Social Security in the Twenty-First Century, The Economics of Population Aging, Providing Adequate Retirement Income When Life-Time Employment Ends, and seven editions of The Economics of Aging. Robert H. Binstock is Professor of Aging, Health, and Society at Case Western Reserve University. A former president of the Gerontological Society of America, and recipient of numerous awards, he has served as director of a White House Task Force on Older Americans and as chairman and member of many advisory panels to the U.S., state, and local governments. He is the author of more than 250 articles and book chapters, primarily on the politics and policies affecting aging, and has published 24 books, including America's Political System, Too Old for Health Care, The Future of Long-Term Care, and six editions of the Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences.