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Chapter 15

Politics and Policies

How are Older Adults Politically Active?

Listen to and watch public affairs shows
Give money to political parties
Work on political campaigns
Vote
Run for office
Political advocacy and activism

Table 15.1 Political Activity in Later Life

Voting

Voting an important obligation
89% age 40-69 “a very important obligation” 93% age 70+ “a very important obligation”
Do older people consider selves politically active?
7% age 40-57 “very active”; 6% age 58-69 “very active”; 9% age 70 & older “very active”

Voting

Why the high turnout?
Strong link to political party
Greater interest in public life than younger people
Read more about current events
More time to stay informed than younger people

Figure 15.1 Reported Voting and Registration, by Sex and Age

U.S. citizens: November 2008.

Participation Trends among Older Voters

More men than women
Registrations
Voting
Tendency to vote increases with
Higher education
Higher income

Participation Trends among Older Voters

Minority groups
Lower voting rates than general population
Gap between minority and white voters
Barriers
Culture, language, literacy
Older minority members vote more than younger minority group members

Figure 15.2 Older Voter (65+) Participation Rates

By Race and Ethnicity, 2008 (Percent)

Will Older People Form a Voting Bloc?

Greater impact on elections today than in past
More powerful through lobbying and advocacy
A power bloc?
Great diversity among older population makes an age-based power bloc unlikely

Holding Political Office

Higher office, generally older age
Recent trend toward younger officeholders
Older members of House and Senate have more power
But don’t always favor age-based programs
Congress and Supreme Court Justices tend to stay in office past age 65

Senior Advocacy Groups

Earliest advocacy groups affected legislation
Social Security; Medicare ; Medicaid
Today
Continue advocacy to maintain and expand current programs
Compassionate Ageism too simplistic a view

Senior Advocacy: A Social Movement?

What is Interest Group Pluralism?
Public policy is the outcome of competition among various groups
Each group
Expresses interests of members; Advocates for its position
Competes for scarce public resources

Senior Advocacy Groups: Forms of Political Power

Have access to elected officials
Congress
Government policy-makers
White house
Have access to the media
Congressional hearings/national conferences
Can use the “electoral bluff”

Senior Advocacy Groups

Some of the 51 Old-Age Interest Groups
National Institute of Senior Centers
National Council on the Aging
AARP
Coalition of Women in Long Term Care
Leadership Council of Aging Organizations
Townsend Movement

The Limits of Advocacy

Senior groups not the strongest influence on public policy
Old-age interest group legitimacy eroding over past 10 years
What stifles the impact? (Pratt, 1983)
Members join for personal reasons
Surges and declines in member support

Case Study in Senior Advocacy

Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act
More prescription drug coverage & new state Medicaid payments
Small expansion of long-term care coverage
Protected some spousal assets from spend-down for Medicaid
The Medicare Modernization Act

Activism

Beyond narrow age-related issues
Protest social inequality in all walks of life
Gray Panthers
Maggie Kuhn
Future?
Will baby boomers become activists again in later life?

Government & Aging Policy

The Aging Network
Web of agencies, policies, programs that serve older people
A safety net in every community
Many aging network services coordinated & provided through Older American’s Act

The Older American’s Act

Congress passed legislation 1965
Created federal level Administration on Aging
Through Dept. of Health and Human Services
Created State Units on Aging
Created Area Agencies on Aging

Generational Equity

Are older people “Greedy Geezers?”
Are age-based services and programs robbing younger generations?
Should older people shape interests on needs of community and themselves?
Is poverty of children today a result of age-based policies for older people?

Generational Equity

Why is generational equity an issue today?
Since 1965 improvement in older adult lives and financial status due to policy
New stereotype of older people as
Affluent; Healthy; Living life of luxury and ease

Generational Equity

Assumptions of generational equity debate
Older people get an unfair share of nation’s resources
Older population will place unfair burden on younger people
Younger people pay high taxes for Social Security & will not benefit when they retire

Generational Equity

Suggested Solutions
Two groups that pit youth against age
American’s for Generational Equity (AGE)
Reform age-based into means-tested programs and services
Concord Coalition
Means test for Social Security and Medicare

Generational Equity

Age Discrimination in Employment Act 1986 amendments
Few studies support likelihood of intergenerational conflict in future
Today, studies mostly find younger people do not view elders as “greedy geezers.”
Ideology and Aging Policy

Intergenerational Interdependence

Generations United
Advocates for children and older people
Coalition group
Represents over 100 national, state, local organizations
Promotes activities and provides information to bring generations together

Civic Engagement

Bettering society through volunteer activities and service
Older people volunteer with thousands of organizations
Political; Religious; Social service
New careers for the Third Age

The Future of Aging, Politics, Policy

Baby Boomers will have unique influence on political life
More money will be spent on pensions, medical care
Must recognize that older population is diverse, not homogenous