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Political Feasibility of Pension Reforms

In: Unfunded Pension Systems: Ageing and Variance

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  • Silke Uebelmesser

Abstract

The impending demographic crisis calls for fundamental reforms of old-age security. In a democracy, however, reforms require the support of the majority. A reform that aims at reducing the size of unfunded pension systems is supported by the young and opposed by the old. As long as the young have the majority, this reform is feasible; as soon as society becomes a gerontocracy, there is risk of further expansion.
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  • Silke Uebelmesser, 2004. "Political Feasibility of Pension Reforms," Contributions to Economic Analysis, in: Unfunded Pension Systems: Ageing and Variance, pages 131-158, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:ceazzz:s0573-8555(2004)0000264007
    DOI: 10.1108/S0573-8555(2004)0000264007
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    1. Ishida, Ryo & Oguro, Kazumasa, 2018. "The viability of a voting system that allocates parliamentary seats according to life expectancy: An analysis using OLG models," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 51-57.
    2. Selen, Jan & Stahlberg, Ann-Charlotte, 2007. "Why Sweden's pension reform was able to be successfully implemented," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 1175-1184, December.
    3. Hans-Werner Sinn, 2005. "Europe’s Demographic Deficit A Plea For A Child Pension System," De Economist, Springer, vol. 153(1), pages 1-45, December.
    4. Sinn, Hans-Werner, 2005. "Europe's Demographic Deficit," Munich Reprints in Economics 934, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    5. Theodore C. Bergstrom & John L. Hartman, 2005. "Demographics and the Political Sustainability of Pay-as-you-go Social Security," CESifo Working Paper Series 1378, CESifo.

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