Skip to main content
Log in

United States public policy and the elderly

The disproportionate risk to the well-being of women

  • Published:
Journal of Population Economics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cross-sectional comparisons show that poverty among the aged in the United States has dropped dramatically over the last two decades. We use longitudinal data to identify economic events associated with unfavorable economic outcomes and to trace the influence of these events on women and men at different ages. We find that while social insurance programs appear to prevent severe financial hardship from the most frequent work-related events, they are far less effective in cushioning the economic impact of widowhood and divorce, especially for women. We suggest a number of policy changes that would provide some measure of social insurance against adverse family-related events.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Becketti S, Gould W, Lillard L, Welch F (1983) Attrition from the PSID. (Mimeo) Unicon Research Corp, Los Angeles

    Google Scholar 

  • Burkhauser RV, Duncan GJ (1989) Economic risks of gender roles: income loss and life events over the life courses. Soc Sci Q 70 (3):3–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Burkhauser RV, Haveman RH (1982) Disability and work: The economics of American policy. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore

    Google Scholar 

  • Burkhauser RV, Hiroven P (1989) United States disability policy in a time of economic crisis: A comparison with Sweden and the Federal Republic of Germany. Milbank Quarterly 67 (Suppl 2):166–194

    Google Scholar 

  • Burkhauser RV, Holden KC (eds) (1982) A challenge to Social Security: The changing roles of women and men in American society. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Burkhauser RV, Holden KC, Myers DA (1986) The role of survey procedures in artificially creating poverty. Demography 23:621–631

    Google Scholar 

  • Burkhauser RV, Holden KC, Feaster JC (1988) Incidence, timing and events associated with poverty: A dynamic view of poverty in retirement. J Gerontol 43(2):S46-S52

    Google Scholar 

  • Burkhauser RV, Duncan GJ, Hauser R, Berntsen R (1990) Economic burdens of marital disruptions: A comparison of the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany. The Review of Income and Wealth, Series 36, No.4:319–333

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell R, Hudson C (1985) Synthetic cohorts from panel studies: An approch to studying rare events. Res Aging 7:81–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Coe R (1988) A longitudinal examination of poverty in the elderly years. Gerontologist 28 (4):540–544

    Google Scholar 

  • Danziger S, van der Gaag J, Smolensky E, Taussig MK (1984) Implications of the relative economic status of the elderly for tranfer policy. In: Aaron H, Burtless G (eds) Retirement and economic behavior. Brookings Institution, Washington DC, pp 175–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Duncan GJ, Hill DH, Ponza MJ (1984) How representative is the PSID? A response to some questions raised in the Unicon report. (Mimeo) Institute for Social Research, Ann Arbor, Mich

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansen WL, Byers JF (1990) Unemployment insurance: The second half-century. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, WI

    Google Scholar 

  • Havemann RH, Halberstadt V, Burkhauser RV (1984) Public policy toward disabled workers: A crossnational analysis of economic impact. Cornell University Press, Ithaca

    Google Scholar 

  • Quinn J, Burkhauser RV, Myers DA (1990) Passing the torch: The influence of economic incentives on work and retirement. UpJohn Institute for Employment Research, Kalamazoo, MI

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross CM (1986) The change in the labor supply and well-being of the elderly, 1940–1980. PhD dissertation, University of Wisconsin

  • Survey Research Center (1984) User guide to the panel study of income dynamics. ICPSR Ann Arbor, MI

    Google Scholar 

  • US Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. Various years Characteristics of the population below the poverty level. Current Population Reports, ser P-60. US Government Printing Office Washington, DC

  • Zick CD, Smith KR (1986) Immediate and delayed effects of widowhood on poverty: Patterns from the 1970s. Gerontologist 26:669–676

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Burkhauser, R.V., Duncan, G.J. United States public policy and the elderly. J Popul Econ 4, 217–231 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00602430

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00602430

Keywords

Navigation