Open AccessGenerational Differences In U.S. Public Spending, 1980–2000
Author(s) -
Susmita Pati,
Ron Keren,
Evaline A. Alessandrini,
Donald F. Schwarz
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
health affairs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.837
H-Index - 178
eISSN - 2694-233X
pISSN - 0278-2715
DOI - 10.1377/hlthaff.23.5.131
Subject(s) - per capita , public spending , recession , economics , welfare , gross domestic product , government spending , social welfare , balance (ability) , demographic economics , public welfare , health spending , public economics , economic growth , medicine , environmental health , health care , political science , macroeconomics , population , market economy , politics , law , physical medicine and rehabilitation , health insurance
The balance between spending on children and spending on the elderly is important in evaluating the allocation of public welfare spending. We examine trends in public spending on social welfare programs for children and the elderly during 1980-2000. For both groups, social welfare spending as a percentage of gross domestic product changed little, even during the economic expansions of the 1990s. In constant dollars, the gap in per capita social welfare spending between children and the elderly grew 20 percent. Unlike spending for programs for the elderly, spending for children's programs suffered during recessions. Public discussion about the current imbalance in public spending is needed.