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A Challenge to Social Security
The Changing Roles of Women and Men in American Society
1st Edition - April 28, 1982
Editors: Richard V. Burkhauser, Karen C. Holden
eBook ISBN:9781483261263
9 7 8 - 1 - 4 8 3 2 - 6 1 2 6 - 3
A Challenge to Social Security: The Changing Roles of Women and Men in American Society is a collection of papers that deals with social security reform. The papers concern… Read more
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A Challenge to Social Security: The Changing Roles of Women and Men in American Society is a collection of papers that deals with social security reform. The papers concern insurance and pure income transfer aspects of various proposals and the assumptions regarding the family and work behavior found in each proposal. The proposed reforms attempt to fix the shortcomings of the Old Age, Survivors Insurance (OASI) Program, sometimes at the expense of reducing the subsidy for women who remain at home, or through alterations of the subsidy's nature. Other papers discuss the current spouse benefits under the dual entitlement rule; homemaker credits; child-care drop-out years; and one going against the grain, earnings sharing. One paper sees earning sharing as the only way to provide security to the homemaker without being unfair to the working wife. Other papers tackle the issues of women and a two-tier social security system; the double-decker alternative to eliminate dependency under social security; and the social security reform from a feminist's perspective. This collection can prove useful for economists, sociologists, political scientists, and policy makers involved in welfare and social security.
List of Figures and Tables
Contributors
Acknowledgments
Director's Foreword
1 Introduction
The Current System: How It Works
Historical Conflicts in OASI
The Controversy over Spouse Benefits
A Look at Alternative Reforms
Conclusions
2 Concepts Underlying the Current Controversy about Women's Social Security Benefits
Basic Concepts in Social Insurance and Related Programs
Changing the Social Security System
Summary
3 Supplemental OASI Benefits to Homemakers Through Current Spouse Benefits, a Homemaker Credit, and Child-Care Drop-Out Years
The Dual Entitlement Provision: An Implicit Means Test
The Distribution of Dependent Benefits among the Aged
Substituting an Explicit Credit for Spouse Benefits
Evaluation of Alternative Systems
Appendix
Discussion
4 Earnings Sharing: Incremental and Fundamental Reform
Spouse Benefit versus Earnings Sharing
The Current Earnings-Sharing Proposals
Conclusion
Discussion
5 Women and a Two-Tier Social Security System
Major Problems Surrounding the Treatment of Women under Social Security
The Two-Tier System with Earnings Sharing
Impact on Women
Conclusion
Appendix
Discussion
6 The Double-Decker Alternative for Eliminating Dependency under Social Security
The Double-Decker Alternative for Eliminating Dependency under Social Security
The Simulation
The Immediate Impact of Adopting a Double-Decker System
The Overall Social Security Benefit Structure and the Objectives of Old-Age Income Maintenance Policy
Discussion
7 Disability Insurance under Proposed Reforms
Introduction
Definitions and Concepts
The Objectives of Disability Insurance (DI)
The Effects of Extending DI Coverage
Administrative Feasibility of Extending Coverage
Conclusion
Discussion
8 Occupational Pension Plans and Spouse Benefits
Historical Background
Current Pension Plan Benefits for Spouses
Rights of a Spouse to Employee Pension Entitlements on Dissolution of Marriage
The Future of Spouse Benefits under Occupational Pension Plans
Summary
Discussion
9 The Housewife and Social Security Reform: A Feminist Perspective
10 Incremental Change in Social Security Needed to Result in Equal and Fair Treatment of Men and Women
Nature of OASDI and Medicare
History of Equal Treatment of Men and Women under Social Security