Public Policy Evaluation & the Policy Process

ISSUE: The population in the United States is ageing rapidly, five times higher than the younger population for a century (1920–2020). Demographic changes have created higher healthcare demands, a labour shortage and increasing support required for many isolated elderly. These challenges are critical not only for sustainability in general but also for social and economic sustainability.[Caplan Caplan, Zoe. 2023. “U.S. Older Population Grew from 2010 to 2020 at Fastest Rate since 1880 to 1890.” United States Census Bureau. May 25, 2023] [Mather, Mark, and Paola Scommegna. 2024. “Fact Sheet: Aging in the United States.” Population Reference Bureau. January 9, 2024. https://www.prb.org/resources/fact-sheet-aging-in-the-united-states/.] RECOMMENDATION: As a senator, I call on Congress to enact a comprehensive bill that addresses the rapid rate of the population ageing by including a phased-in retirement policy to retain retired knowledgeable and experienced workers, fiscal sustainability measures to improve social safety net, measures to increase younger population through targeted immigration and workforce development strategies, and additional health insurance protections for senior.[Reeves, Richard V., and Simran Kalkat. 2016. “Two Solutions to the Challenges of Population Aging.” Brookings. 2016. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/two-solutions-to-the-challenges-of-population-aging/.] Importance of Implementing Phase-in Retirement One of the negative implications of the rise in the number of older people is the decline in the number of experienced and skilled labour force; therefore, by allowing the elderly population to remain in the workforce, the US government may mitigate the fiscal pressures caused by a rise in the elderly population. Moreover, it would bridge the gap between the elderly and the young. Regarding budgetary expenditure, phase-in retirement increases tax revenues and the capital spent on pensions. Late retention in service also improves the health of the elderly population as it maintains their financial stability.[Ibid] [Cylus, Jonathan, Josep Figueras, and Charles Normand. "Will population ageing spell the end of the welfare state? A review of evidence and policy options." (2019).] [Ibid] [Reeves, Richard V., and Simran Kalkat. 2016. “Two Solutions to the Challenges of Population Aging.”] Importance of Extended Healthcare Protection Another critical component of the proposed bill is providing extended healthcare protection to older adults. Using this policy, the government may target the behavioural risk factors contributing to increased healthcare complications in the elderly. For instance, by controlling or minimizing the healthcare risk factors of heart and circulatory problems between the 1980s and 2000, the government improved the healthcare condition and age of the elderly population. However, much more needs to be done on war footing to enhance the quality of life of older people and improve social and economic stability.[Cylus, Jonathan, Josep Figueras, and Charles Normand. "Will population ageing spell the end of the welfare state?] [Ibid] In the same way, by imposing restrictions on the availability and advertisement of alcohol and unhealthy food, authorities reduce the healthcare risks for the elderly population, leading to an increase in the age of the skilled elderly population. Therefore, implementing this strategy is a recommendation to tackle the issue of the rise in the population of overage people. Likewise, a sufficient increase in federal funding, in addition to existing local and state-based funding, for youth empowerment projects is another way to increase the number of skilled, empowered, and productive American youth.[Ibid] [Aitken, Robert John. "Population decline: where demography, social science, and biology intersect." Reproduction 168, no. 1 (2024).] Importance of Increasing the Number of Young People The increase in the number of young people serves a good purpose for the US government. The young generation is more energetic and productive, increasing the government's revenue and productivity income. By increasing the number of young people, the US government will be able to provide caregivers for older people and resolve one of the significant social problems of American society.[Kingdon, John W. "Agendas, alternatives, and public policies." Pearson Education Limited (2014).] Evaluation of the Recommendation under the Lens of Kingdon's Theory Kingdon's theory is based on the confluence of various interconnecting policy streams. Accordingly, when different policy streams connect, they constitute a policy window, creating opportunities for effective policy-making and changes in existing policies. Hence, this theory suggests that problem recognition, policy community, and political support are the three streams that work collectively to formulate and implement a policy. Hence, if the US governm...