 "A wonderfully clear rehearsal of the central policy issues--uniquely, by someone with both a theoretical and practical background." — Nicholas Barr, London School of Economics Criticism of public pension systems is currently fashionable. But is it accurate?
That's the question Urban Institute economist Lawrence Thompson explores in a new book, Older and Wiser, commissioned by the International Social Security Association.
Thompson provides balanced, dispassionate economic analysis of claims that traditional public pension systems cost too much, are outmoded, and hinder economic growth and international competitiveness.
A consultant to the International Labor Office and the World Bank, Thompson is a former chief operating officer of the U.S. Social Security Administration.
Older and Wiser looks at a broad range of issues critical to the worldwide debate about national pension systems, including how to determine their economic costs, their impact on savings and growth, and the complexities of shifting from public to privately financed systems.
Older & Wiser: The Economics of Public Pensions, by Lawrence Thompson, is available from the Urban Institute Press (cloth, ISBN 0-87766-678-4, $59.50; paper, ISBN 0-87766-679-2, $23.95). To obtain a copy call (202) 261-5687 or 800.537.5487.
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