This paper shows that, beyond the institutional stability of Social Security, changes in the private sector as well as the emergence of a new financial paradigm have transformed both the U.S. pension system and the political debate about its future. Although no major reform of Social Security has been enacted since 1983, this system changes slowly because of the decline of defined-benefit schemes and the multiplication of tax-sponsored personal savings accounts in the private sector. Related to a financial and individualistic logic, this phenomenon serves as an explicit model for conservative actors seeking to privatize Social Security. So far, these efforts have failed. This text explains why before exploring the comparative strengths and the limitations of the existing U.S. pension system.
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Find related papers by JEL classification: H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
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