The other point is for those who have to go directly from here to the International Conference, Mrs. Slinkard, our chief clerk, has information about approximately four cars which are available for anyone who wishes to use them to get back to the conference. The CHAIRMAN. We did have in the audience William Fitch of the National Council on Aging; Lawrence Oxley, National Council of Senior Citizens; Peter Hughes, the American Association of Retired Persons; and Marjorie Borkler from the Association of Senior Citizens. We are glad to have you with us. The committee's thanks for your appearance. (Whereupon, at 12:35 p.m. the Special Committee on Aging adjourned subject to call of the Chair.) Appendix 1 SOCIAL SECURITY FOR THE AGED: A WORKING PAPER PREPARED FOR A HEARING ON "INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE ECONOMICS OF AGING," AUGUST 25, 1969 SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON AGING 1057 CONTENTS A. Social insurance-the "Earned Right" approach.... FOREWORD Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate Special Committee began its study of "The Economics of Aging: Toward a Full Share in Abundance." Testimony taken on April 29 and 30 provided an excellent survey of the field and suggested additional lines of inquiry. Since that time, individual subcommittees have conducted hearings on specialized subjects, and witnesses have provided valuable insights and recommendations for committee study. 2 The Committee has already issued two other working papers and one fact sheet in conjunction with its hearings thus far. On the pages that follow, Prof. George Rohrlich has provided a new working paper to be used in connection with a hearing on August 25 by the Committee on Aging. That hearing, made possible by the cooperation of the sponsors of the Eighth International Congress on Gerontology (Washington, D.C., August 24-29, 1969), will deal with international perspectives on the economics of aging. Witnesses will represent several nations and will compare national programs for economic security of the elderly. Professor Rohrlich has the gratitude of the Committee on Aging for making such a substantial contribution to its studies. His willingness to share his wide range of knowledge about international approaches to social security has provided the committee another invaluable source-book for its studies. HARRISON A. WILLIAMS, Chairman, Special Committee on Aging. 1 "Consumer Aspects of the Economics of Aging," Ann Arbor, Mich., June 9, 1969; "Health Aspects of the Economics of Aging," Washington, D.C., July 17-18, 1969; "Homeownership Aspects of the Economics of Aging," Washington, D.C., July 31 and Aug. 1, 1969; and "Suburban Aspects of the Economics of Aging," Paramus, N.J., and Cape May, N.J., Aug. 14-15, 1969. "Economics of Aging: Toward a Full Share in Abundance," March 1969. "Health Aspects of the Economics of Aging," July 1969. 3 "Homeownership Aspects of the Economics of Aging," July 1969. SOCIAL SECURITY FOR THE AGED: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES (By George F. Rohrlich, Professor of Political Economy and Social Insurance, Temple University School of Business Administration) INTRODUCTION A ground swell of protest against all forms of dependence marks our time. A fierce desire for emancipation from societal constraints and from traditional limitations deemed no longer necessary or acceptable animates important sectors of the young and the underprivileged in this country and elsewhere. Though avowed objectives differ, one common denominator is the assertion of a rightful claim. Another common quality attaches to the substance of the demands. Despite their varied garb and points of attack, they would appear to be manifestations of the age-old quest for fulfillment of the basic human needs for wherewithal and dignity. The aged, though suffering large-scale deprivation as evidenced by the highest incidence of poverty of any group, at least in the United States, are second only to children of young ages—who, in turn, comprise the largest absolute number of poor amongst all segments of the population-in their inability to back their claim to "a full share in abundance" with public displays of power and threats of disruption. Nevertheless, the proposition that "Poverty Anywhere Is a Threat to Prosperity Everywhere" holds true mutatis mutandis, even if the concatenation of cause and effect is not as direct and, therefore, not as obvious as in some other cases in point. Measures for the alleviation of the avoidable burdens of old age, notably methods to assure that the common material needs of the aged are met, exist in sundry varieties. The choices between them will be governed partly by preference and in larger part by financial and institutional constraints. This working paper outlines, in little more than skeleton form, the main approaches developed to date, some of their strengths and limitations. It is necessarily schematic, so as to fit existing varieties into relatively few clearly distinguishable categories, and far from exhaustive. The aim is to provide a broad general orientation, rather than a detailed guide, to the array of social security measures that benefit the aged. It is hoped that the paper may provide a usable framework and point of departure for discussion. 1 Art. 1 of the Declaration of Philadelphia adopted by the International Labor Organi zation meeting in its 26th session in Philadelphia on May 10, 1944. |