Research by Author & Topic

Publications by Rudolph G. Penner on International Issues

Fiscal policy is out of control. Programs, such as Social Security and Medicare, have design features that push up spending faster than the growth of revenues. It is time to change the course of the automatic pilot driving these programs. To do so, policymakers can develop “triggers” that automatically curb spending. Triggers will level the playing field between programs that have large automatic growth and those where growth or even maintenance of effort cannot be obtained without new legislation. The paper examines triggers employed to reform Social Security in other advanced democracies and explores design options for an optimal trigger.

On July 27, 2001, representatives of nine European Union countries and the European Commission discussed social security and pension reform at an Urban Institute conference hosted by the German Embassy. This brief, drawing on the conference papers and discussion, provides an overview of pensions in the European Union and summarizes the nine participating countries' pension systems, including recent reforms. The summaries should serve as a useful resource to policymakers and the public as the United States wrestles with options for reforming social security.