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As the ranks of the elderly continue to swell and their social welfare becomes a complex and contentious policy issue, how will the United States balance the conflicting demographic and economic demands of providing for its older citizens -- especially in light of the anticipated economic burden of the baby boom generations impending retirement? These problems place the destiny of Social Security and health care at the epicenter of political discussion and debate, making a balanced perspective on these issues essential -- particularly as the lives of millions of future Americans will be affected. The Generational Equity Debate offers social workers, policy analysts, political scientists, and sociologists, as well as general readers concerned about the fate of the elderly, a complete range of viewpoints on this vital subject.
List of contents
Part I Introduction
1 Framing the Generational Equity Debate, by John B. Williamson and Diane Watts-Roy
Part II The Generational Equity Frame
2 How Will America Pay for the Retirement of the Baby Boom Generation?, by Peter G. Peterson
3 Generational Equity and the Birth of a Revolutionary Class, by Lester C. Thurow
4 Generational Justice and Generational Accounting, by Jagadeesh Gokhale and Laurence J. Kotlikoff
5 Care for the Elderly: What About Our Children?, by Richard D. Lamm
6 Age-Based Rationing of Medical Care, by Daniel Callahan
Part III The Generational Interdependence Frame
7 America Can Afford to Grow Old, by Alicia H. Munnell
8 Social Security and the Myth of the Entitlement "Crisis", by Jill Quadagno
9 Scapegoating the Old: Intergenerational Equity and Age-Based Health Care Rationing, by Robert H. Binstock
10 Social Security and the Politics of Generational Conflict, by Theodore Marmor, Fay Lomax Cook, and Stephen Scher
11 Why Privatizing Social Security is a Bad Idea, by Eric R. Kingson and John B. Williamson
Part IV Voices from Generation X
12 Third Millennium Declaration
Third Millennium
13 Agenda 2000
2030 Center
Summary
This study attempts to provide a balanced perspective on social security and health care - particularly as they concern the elderly. Essays support generational equity, generational interdependence, and opposing views from Generation X spokespeople.
