AARP: Policy and Research Information for Professionals in Aging

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Entitlement Spending

In Brief: Exploring the Role of Cost-Benefit Analysis in Government Regulations  / Research Report
September 2007— A succinct summary of the AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper in which cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis used for assessing the economic impact of federal regulations are examined by Drew Laughland, A. Myrick Freeman III, Calvin Franz, Aylin Sertkaya of Eastern Research Group and Keith D. Lind of PPI. (2 pages) (Publication ID: INB145)

Exploring the Role of Cost-Benefit Analysis in Government Regulations  / Research Report
September 2007— Cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis are used in assessing the economic impact of federal regulations. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper, Drew Laughland, A. Myrick Freeman III, Calvin Franz, Aylin Sertkaya of Eastern Research Group and Keith D. Lind of PPI examine the debate over how key factors, such as age, can affect the results of these analyses. (78 pages) (Publication ID: 2007-14)

Spending Entitlements and Tax Entitlements  / Research Report
May 2007— Comparing entitlement benefits, such as Social Security and Medicare, with tax benefits, such as the mortgage interest deduction, this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by John Gist finds that the latter are skewed toward those with higher incomes, and that a majority of combined spending and tax entitlements flow to those under age 65. (18 pages) (Publication ID: 2007-10)

Receipt of Entitlement and Other Safety-Net Program Benefits Among Families in 2004  / Research Report
April 2007— How government income assistance, health, education and other forms of aid to individuals and households were distributed among American families in 2004 through work-related and need-related (or means-tested) programs is analyzed in this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest by Ke Bin Wu. (8 pages) (Publication ID: DD156)

In Brief: Population Aging, Entitlement Growth, and the Economy  / Research Report
January 2007— A succinct summary of the similarly titled AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper in which John Gist examines the fiscal effects of America’s demographic transformation, whether the U.S. can afford its aging society, and what can be done to sustain the economic security of an aging population while maintaining a healthy economy. (2 pages) (Publication ID: INB135)

Population Aging, Entitlement Growth, and the Economy  / Research Report
January 2007— The “graying” of America has alarmed many experts who foresee the future cost of federal health and retirement programs creating huge federal deficits and jeopardizing long-term economic growth. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper, John Gist examines what can be done to sustain the economic security of our aging population while maintaining a healthy economy. (64 pages) (Publication ID: 2007-01)

AARP Election Watch 2006: Pulse of a Generation  / Research Report
November 2006— Of 1,500 age 42+ likely voters surveyed between October 23rd and 29th, 2006 by AARP, 83 percent are seriously considering the rising budget deficit in their voting decisions, and 76 percent are likely to vote for candidates supporting increased domestic spending while 47 percent favor and 40 percent oppose creating a national sales tax to fund healthcare for children and the uninsured.

Balancing the State Budget and Maintaining Health and Long-term Care Funding in California: A Public Opinion Poll  / Research Report
August 2005— Most Californians (90%) think it is important that the state maintain current levels of funding for health and long-term care services even in light of the state’s budget deficit, according to a 2005 AARP telephone survey of 1,200 California residents age 18 and over. (10 pages)

Will Entitlement Spending Doom the Economy?  / Opinion
February 2003— John Gist of AARP’s Public Policy Institute argues that despite the stern fiscal challenge posed by an aging society, our economic future, although influenced by demographics, can be molded by choices made by individuals and by society.

Entitlement Spending and the Economy: Past Trends and Future Projections  / Research Report
September 2002— Long-term economic forecasts project exploding government debt due to entitlement spending combined with the aging of the population. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper, John Gist and Satyendra Verma take a fresh look at some old assertions about federal budget entitlements, and conclude that demography will not determine future economic outcomes. (36 pages) (Publication ID: 2002-13)

Raising Retirement Age: How Much of a Solution to Rising Support Burdens in the Developed World?  / Research Report
June 2000— How high would the retirement age need to be raised in industrial nations to maintain support ratios at the 1995 level? In this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest, Sara Rix highlights some of the difficulties inherent in implementing even small increases. (4 pages) (Publication ID: DD49)