Politics of chronological age
It is believed that the war of class between the old and the young has manifested itself in today’s world. It started when heavy taxes on pension which took more than 25% of the income from both the employers and workers in 1996. This strive may last for a long time to see employers and employees teaming up against politicians who promised the older citizens unimaginable pension while at the same time encouraging the older employees to exploit the younger employees, and the older business people to exploit the younger business men.
We should not forget that these top politicians will still have our votes when election time comes. We have also learned that organized movements are less rational and they come from wide social changes. We should also note that these changes in population traits began recently and they are yet to mature and become mass movements in the near future. The voting effects of the elderly Americans Research reveals that many Americans aged 60 years and above usually vote with retribution and they make up a formidable voting block.
Most of them have a vested interest in various political allocations: In the year 2002, it was noted that the Medicare and Social Security had an estimated 40 million beneficiaries. Studies on the portrait of the 1996 voters reveal that 24% of the total votes cased were from elderly citizen aged 60 years and above (John B. Williamson, L. E. 2008). It is expected that the number of elderly voter will increase as more learned people enter into this age group of 60 years and above.
Census carried out in mid 19080’s revealed that the elderly people outnumber the younger age group (18-30 years) who cased 17% of the total votes. This kind of scenario raises questions if the elderly people can be perceived to be a voting block. It has been revealed that they vote as a block if matters affect them directly. It has also been seen in the past elections that the votes of the elderly people have been spread among all the presidential candidates. Will age- or generational-based politics eventually replace the ethnically race-based politics of the 20th century?
Given the immigration gesture of the 1980s and 1990s, it can be the case that age-dynamics will only magnify the politics of the ancient times, especially as the old will be inexplicably Anglo and the youthful will be disproportionately comprised of Asian Americans and Hispanic. The social security fund There can be no doubt that in many presidential addresses to different state unions the issue of social security is the one that is given the greatest attention. Ten years ago social security alone took 22% of the total federal spending and an estimated 46% of the general domestic spending.
This plan takes extra funds out of the Americans’ paychecks as compared to the federal income tax. As time goes by a system of generation inequity which is connected to the pyramid scheme that pays off relatively to how early one entered the scheme will arise. It is said that in most of the federal programs, Social Security has had an indisputable cause on the high poverty rate of the oldest fraction of the population. Bibliography John B. Williamson, L. E. (2008). The Politics of Aging: Power and Policy. Virginia: Thomas.
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