Event Description

In the comparative welfare state literature, the United States has most usually been cast a “welfare state laggard” or as a “reluctant welfare state.” Among factors associated with this truncated development are an “exceptional” political culture, racial politics, absence of a strong working-class consciousness, and a divided governmental structure. Despite (or perhaps) because of these factors, policies on behalf of the old have grown to surprising proportions in recent decades, aging-based programming now accounting for roughly one-third of all spending by the federal government. This presentation will review the growth of these programs and analyze arguments used to account for this seemingly anomalous policy development. In particular, the role of state structures and policy legacy will be emphasized, the aged in the U.S. representing a strong case where “policy causes politics.”