NCJ Number
44352
Date Published
1977
Length
14 pages
Annotation
POPULATION TRENDS AND LEVELS OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND ORGANIZATION AMONG THE ELDERLY ARE EXAMINED IN AN OVERVIEW OF THE POLITICS OF AGE.
Abstract
IN 1970, THE TOTAL POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES WAS 5 TIMES AS LARGE AS IT WAS IN 1870, THE MIDDLE-AGED POPULATION 9 TIMES AS LARGE, AND THE OLDER POPULATION 17 TIMES AS LARGE. EXAMINATION OF DEPENDENCY RATIOS, I.E., THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN A DEPENDENT AGE CATEGORY DIVIDED BY THE NUMBER IN A SUPPORTING AGE CATEGORY, SUGGESTS THE POTENTIAL FOR POLITICAL CONFLICT. THE BABY BOOM OF THE 1940'S WILL BE THE GERONTOLOGY BOOM OF THE YEARS 2000 AND 2010. WHEN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SYSTEMS ENCOUNTER THE GERONTOLOGY BOOM AT A TIME WHEN THE WORK FORCE POPULATION HAS DECLINED IN SIZE, THE DEMANDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF OLDER PERSONS MAY CONFLICT WITH THE UNWILLINGNESS OF THE WORKING POPULATION TO SUPPORT THE EXPANDING COSTS OF SOCIAL PROGRAMS. DESPITE EVIDENCE OF SUBSTANTIAL, CONTINUING GROWTH IN THE OLDER POPULATION, THE QUESTION REMAINS AS TO WHETHER THIS LARGE GROUP WILL PARTICIPATE IN POLITICS. DISENGAGEMENT THEORY HOLDS THAT PEOPLE GRADUALLY WITHDRAW FROM ACTIVE SOCIAL PARTICIPATION AS THEY ENTER OLD AGE. HOWEVER, DATA ON VOTER PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL ELECTIONS SUGGEST AN INCREASE IN PARTICIPATION WITH AGE. SELF-REPORT SURVEYS ON POLITICAL AWARENESS ALSO CONTRADICT THE DISENGAGEMENT THEORY. DATA ON VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP INDICATE THAT OLDER PERSONS ARE NO LESS INVOLVED IN ORGANIZED ACTIVITY THAN OTHER AGE GROUPS. A GENERATIONAL, OR AGE COHORT, VIEW OF THE FUTURE ADDS SUPPORT TO THE PROPOSITION THAT THE AGED ARE BECOMING AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT POLITICAL INFLUENCE. TOMORROW'S OLDER PEOPLE ARE THE SURVIVORS OF THE COHORTS NOW IN THEIR YOUNGER YEARS. THE ADVANTAGES, EXPERIENCES, SKILLS, ORIENTATIONS, AND EXPECTATIONS ALREADY DEVELOPED WILL BE THE POLITICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TOMORROW'S ELDERLY. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED.