"When I was a teacher in the areas of public policy and aging programs, I longed for a book that would
help me explain the processes by which programs for the aging are established by law and the administrative agencies
of federal, state, and local governments responsible for implementing these programs. Ted Koff and Richard Park
have written the kind of book I needed. Students, both graduate and undergraduate, of gerontology and of public
programs for the aged will find this book of great value. This book represents a useful and important contribution
to the field."
--Charles I. Schottland, Former Commissioner of Social Security
"...fills a big hole in the literature. ...The principal of virtue of Aging Public Policy is that it was written
by two able teachers and communicators for classroom use. Lucid, balanced, and insightful, this volume will serve
many as a helpful introduction to a growing literature on an important topic."
--W.A. Achenbaum, The University of Michigan
"The book represents an important addition to the political economy approach within social gerontology...and
should be useful to serious students of aging policies in several respects. For theoretically oriented readers,
the book will provide an expanded basis for the continuing debate over the completeness of political and moral
economy theories and the manner in which these interpretations can be most effectively integrated with other social
science theories."
--William W. Lammers, Ph.D., Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California at Los Angeles
"...a most useful companion on aging issues that combines indispensable history with current policy dilemmas
and a road map through the increasingly complex aging network. It is a most valuable resource for students as well
as practitioners in the field of aging who want to understand the development of aging programs and their relationship
to historical trends and the work of advisory and advocacy groups."
--Dr. Daniel Thursz, The National Council on the Aging, Inc.
Baywood Publishing Co., Inc. Web Site, December, 2000
Summary
The issues of public policies on behalf of "graying America" are no longer on the periphery of public
debates. They have moved to the forefront of the American political scene, concentrating our behavior toward those
who are dependent upon the larger society. It is increasingly important that our citizenry understand how policies
are influenced by special interest groups, and perhaps most importantly, how policies for the elderly are, in essence,
policies for the entire society.
This volume will explore the relationships among:
the history of policy formation;
the role of government responses to the needs of an aging population (by the year 2030 approximately 65 million
persons in the United States will be sixty-five years or older);
the historical developments of policies and their impacts on society.
Major national debates on the issues of generational equity have raised issues of concern about the burdens
resulting from an aging society. The lack of easy solutions to vexing problems (i.e., poverty among young Americans;
the large number of older persons utilizing publicly sponsored social and health programs; the personal burden
to all taxpayers to maintain those benefits, and so on) has led to the tendency to make scapegoats of the aged.
Therefore, it is vital to establish a societal understanding that when we advocate on behalf of the issues related
to the elderly, we also advocate for the human rights of all persons, irrespective of age or of any other characteristic.
Public policies affect us all all, they are, in a sense, the way we share our concern for the welfare of the entire
society.
We hope that Aging Public Policy will help each reader establish a clear point of view of public policies and
illustrate how it is possible to contribute to bringing your vision of the role of government in our society closer
to a reality
Table of Contents
List of Figures and Tables
Introduction
PART ONE: THE POLICY PROCESS: RESPONDING TO HUMAN NEEDS THROUGH LAWS
Chapter 1: Constitutional Foundations
Growth of Democracy
The Constitutional Bedrock
Extended Republic
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
Federalism
Democracy
The Bill of Rights
Chapter 2: Making Policy in the United States
Types of Policy
The Actors in the Political Process
The Congress
The Bureaucracy
The Courts
The Presidency
Political Parties
The Stages of the Policy Process
Chapter 3: Historical Background to Aging Policy
17th Century
18th Century
19th Century
20th Century
Formative Years (1935-50)
Federal Expansion Period (1950-72)
Incrementalism and Cost Containment (1972-Present)
Toward a National Policy on Aging: Historical Highlights
Summary of Part One
PART TWO: AGING POLICY DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 4: The Aging Network
The Older Americans Act
Legislative History of the Older Americans Act Antecedents of the Older Americans Act
Implementation of the Older Americans Act
The Older Americans Act: Is it U.S. Policy on Aging?
A Legislative Calendar of the Older Americans Act
Chapter 5: Interest and Advisory Groups
Advisory Groups
The Federal Council on the Aging
The White House Conference on Aging
Advisory Group to the Administration on Aging
Advisory Groups to the State Units on Aging and Area Agencies on
Aging
Interest Groups
Aging Interest Groups
PART THREE: MAJOR PUBLIC POLICIES ON BEHALF OF THE ELDERLY
Chapter 6: Social Security
Precedents to Social Security
The Socialist Movement
The Roosevelt Administration
The 1935 Law
Major Amendments to the Social Security Act
Tax Abatement and Relief Programs for the Elderly
Chapter 7: Health
A Review of Health Care Policy in the U.S.
Nursing Home Policies
Health Research on Aging in the Federal Government
Chapter 8: Employment and Retirement
A Chronology of Age Discrimination Legislation
Federal Programs for Employment of the Elderly
Retirement Plans
Tax Equity
Pension Funding
Historical Development of Pension Plans
ERISA (Employment Retirement Income Security Act)
Amendments to ERISA Since Enactment
Americans with Disability Act (ADA)
Chapter 9: Housing and Social Services
Housing
Focusing on Human Needs
Major Housing Policies for the Elderly
Federal Housing Programs
Social Services
Education
Legal Services
Caregiver Support
Transportation
PART FOUR: THE ADVOCACY PROCESS IN THE FIELD OF AGING: POLICIES FORTHE FUTURE
Chapter 10: Bonding the Generations
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Congressional Committees and Subcommittees
Appendix B: Statutes Establishing and Amending the Older Americans Act Appendix C: National Eldercare Institutes
Appendix D: Major Activities of the Federal Council on the Aging
Appendix E: Federal Council on the Aging
Appendix F: Major Interest Groups in the Field of Aging
Appendix G: National Institutes of Health
