The Elderly as a Political Community

The Case of National Health Policy

Dados Bibliográficos

ID4236785
AutoresJerry L Weaver (University of California, Los Angeles, autor correspondente)
Ano1976
Volume29
Fascículo4
Páginas610-619
Data de publicação1976-12-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoThe Western Political Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0043-4078 • E-ISSN: 2325-8675
EditoraSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/106591297602900411
OpenAlexW2075240018
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas15

B 5ETWEEN 1950 and 1970, the over-65 population increased at more than twice the rate of the under-45. One out of every ten Americans is now 65 or older; at the present rate of increase, by the year 2000, roughly half of the population will be over 50 years of age. Aside from its dramatic increase in size, the over-65 population is undergoing important sociological changes. Because of Social Security and private retirement funds, rural-to-urban trend and improved medical procedures, more and more older people are living apart from their families and the younger society. In this paper we shall explore the political consequences of the expanding numbers of elderly citizens. In particular we shall examine the argument that the rising ranks of the elderly presage significant political realignments which will result in bloc-like electoral behavior as millions of elderly begin to unite into a selfconscious political community

Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Law · Public Administration · Social Policy and Reform Studies