The Priorities Book

Economic security. Access to health care and supportive services. Enjoying the full advantages of community life. These are probably important issues to you, as they are to most Americans, young and old.

At AARP, we represent millions of Americans over 50, who include workers and those who have retired, people living alone or with families, people who have comfortable resources and those just getting by. It’s a diverse group.

Developing public policies that serve all kinds of people in all kinds of situations is a very big challenge. That’s why we work so hard to be thorough. We gather ideas from our members and others at town meetings, through calls and letters, and surveys and polls, which are then deliberated and debated. And AARP’s own formidable research and expertise are always the basis of everything we do.

A special advisory body made up of 28 volunteers—the National Policy Council—is tasked with deliberating the consequences of all of these perspectives and making recommendations to AARP’s Board of Directors. Once decisions are made by AARP’s all-volunteer Board, the results of this work become AARP public policy, guiding the advocacy activities of AARP staff and volunteers throughout the year.

The Priorities Book explains AARP’s positions on our top policy priorities and serves as a companion piece to The Policy Book, a more complete, in-depth compilation of AARP public policy expertise and positions on a wide range of issues. The Priorities Book is not a substitute for The Policy Book, the official guide for determining AARP’s policy on a particular issue.

Read more about specific AARP priorities by topic:

• Economic Security
• Health Care and Supportive Services
• Livable Communities

To order print copies of The Priorities Book, please contact the AARP Office of Policy Integration at npc@aarp.org or (202) 434-3720.

You can also download The Priorities Book (50KB) in PDF format . You will need the free Acrobat Reader to access the file.