Privatizing Social Security

B-Tier
Journal: Review of Economic Dynamics
Year: 1999
Volume: 2
Issue: 3
Pages: 731-755

Authors (2)

Thomas Cooley Jorge Soares (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

1.009 = (α=2.02 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper studies the political sustainability of the existing pay-as-you-go social security system in the face of recent demographic patterns. We analyze different approaches to privatizing the system and consider what it would require for them to be politically implementable. The analysis is based on an overlapping generations economy where an initial generation would choose to implement a pay-as-you-go social insurance system. We study the sustainability of this system in each subsequent period. We describe some transitions policies that make the current generations of agents at least as well off as the maintenance of the social security system. All feasible transition policies use debt to finance the benefits during the transition period shifting at least some of the cost to unborn generations. (Copyright: Elsevier)

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:red:issued:v:2:y:1999:i:3:p:731-755
Journal Field
Macro
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25