Structural Reform of Social Security
Journal of Economic Perspectives
vol. 19,
no. 2, Spring 2005
(pp. 33-55)
(Complimentary)
Abstract
Governments around the world have enacted or are currently considering fundamental structural reforms of their Social Security pension programs. The key feature in these reforms is a shift from a pure pay-as-you-go tax-financed system, in which taxes on current workers are primarily distributed to current retirees, to a mixed system that combines pay-as-you-go benefits with investment-based personal retirement accounts. This paper discusses how such a mixed system could work in practice and how the transition to such a change could be achieved. It then analyzes the economic gains that would result from shifting to a mixed system. I turn next to the three problems that critics raise about any investment-based plan: administrative costs, risk, and income distribution. Finally, I comment on some of the ad hoc proposals for dealing with the financial problem of Social Security without shifting to an investment-based system.Citation
Feldstein, Martin. 2005. "Structural Reform of Social Security." Journal of Economic Perspectives, 19 (2): 33-55. DOI: 10.1257/0895330054048731JEL Classification
- H55 Social Security and Public Pensions
- J14 Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-labor Market Discrimination
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