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"SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM"
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Carter's conversion : the hardening of American defense policy
\"Examining Carter's dramatic shift from advocating defense budget cuts early in his administration to supporting development of the MX missile and modernization of NATO's Long-Range Theater Nuclear Force by the end of his presidency, the author argues, counter to common interpretations, that the shift was a \"self-correcting\" policy change in response to the prevailing international military environment\"--Provided by publisher.
Book
China's pension system
China is at a critical juncture in its economic transition. A comprehensive reform of its pension and social security systems is an essential element of a strategy aimed toward achieving a harmonious society and sustainable development. Among policy makers, a widely held view is that the approach to pension provision and reform efforts piloted over the last 10-15 years is insufficient to enable China's economy and population to realize its development objectives in the years ahead. This volume suggests a national pension system that no longer distinguishes along urban and rural locational or hukou lines yet takes account of the diverse nature of employment relations and capacity of individuals to make contributions. This volume is organized as follows: the main text outlines this vision, focusing on summarizing the key features of a proposed long-term pension system. It first examines key trends motivating the need for reform then outlines the proposed three-pillar design and the rationale behind the design choices. It then moves on to examine financing options. The text continues by discussing institutional reform issues, and the final section concludes. The six appendixes provide additional analytical detail supporting the findings in the main text. The pension system design can play an important role in supporting or constraining such economic and demographic transitions: 1) fragmentation and lack of portability of rights hinder labor market efficiency and contribute to coverage gaps; 2) multiple schemes for salaried workers, civil servants, and, in some areas, migrants similarly impact labor markets; 3) legacy costs that are largely financed through current pension contributions weaken incentives for compliance and accurate wage reporting; 4) very limited risk pooling and interurban resource transfers limit the insurance function of the urban pension system and create spatial disparities in old-age income protection; 5) low retirement ages affect incentives and benefits and undermine fiscal sustainability; and 6) relatively low returns on individual accounts result in replacement rates significantly less than anticipated while at the macro level, are likely to inhibit wider efforts to stimulate higher domestic consumption.
eBook
The role of informal support systems during illness: A qualitative study of solo self-employed workers in Ontario, Canada
Today’s labor market has changed over time, shifting from mostly full-time, secure, and standard employment relationships to mostly entrepreneurial and precarious working arrangements. In this context, self-employment (SE), a prominent type of precarious work, has been growing rapidly due to globalization, automation, technological advances, and the rise of the ’gig’ economy, among other factors. Employment precarity profoundly impacts workers’ health and well-being by undermining the comprehensiveness of social security systems, including occupational health and safety systems. This study examined how self-employed (SE’d) workers sought out support from informal support systems following illness, injury, and income reduction or loss. Based on in-depth interviews with 24 solo SE’d people in Ontario, Canada, narrative analysis was conducted of participants’ experiences with available informal supports following illness or injury. We identified three main ways that SE’d workers managed to sustain their businesses during periods of need: (i) by relying on savings; (ii) accessing loans and financial support through social networks, and (iii) receiving emotional and practical support. We conclude that SE’d workers managed to survive despite social security system coverage gaps by drawing on informal support systems.
Journal Article
Keeping the promise of social security in Latin America
Empirical analysis of two decades of pioneering pension and social security reform in Latin America and the Caribbean shows that much has been achieved, but that critical challenges remain. In tackling this unfinished agenda, a great deal can be learned from the reform experience of countries in the region. Keeping the Promise, produced by the chief economist's office in the Latin America and Caribbean Region at the World Bank, evaluates policy reforms in 12 countries, points to successes and shortcomings, and proposes priorities and options for future reform. \"Keeping the Promise provides a timely assessment of two decades of pension reform experience-with a wealth of new data, and empirical evaluation of reformed social security systems. Many economists and policymakers will not be persuaded by some of the main conclusions and recommendations-such as the supposed failure to increase coverage, and the call for strengthening a pay-as-you-go defined-benefit scheme for poverty prevention-but they will welcome the book's critical appraisal. This is required reading for pension specialists and policymakers in Latin America and beyond.\" -Klaus Schmidt-Hebbel, Chief of Economic Research, Central Bank of Chile \"A heavyweight analysis of the Latin American pension revolution which raises important questions about the optimal scale of compulsory saving when redesigning pension systems.\" -Paul Wallace, The Economist.
eBook
Development of National Social Insurance Systems in Ukraine and European Countries as a Factor in the Evolution of Human Rights to Social Security
\"The purpose of this study is to investigate the state of social security in Ukraine and its comparative analysis in comparison with European countries, as well as to establish the concept, content, features, and purpose of this sphere in Ukraine. The methods used to study this subject can be distinguished as follows: dialectical method, formalisation method, law-cognising method, formal legal method, hermeneutical method, logical legal method, systemic, structural-functional method, axiomatic method, methods of analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, etc. The results of this study are the definition and clarification of the characteristics and features of legal regulation of social security in Ukraine; established the list of types of social security in Ukraine. The authors investigated the development of social security in Ukraine since 1990; analysed the development of social security in Europe and identified four main models of social protection through the implementation of social security; identified the main problems in the field of social security as one of the factors of social protection of the population. The authors defined the term “social security”, established the content and features of the national social security system of Ukraine; investigated the development of social security in Ukraine and in European countries.\"
Journal Article
COVID-19 lockdown impact on familial relationships and mental health in a large representative sample of Italian adults
PurposeBenefits of national-level stay-at-home order imposed in Italy to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission need to be carefully weighed against its impact on citizens’ health. In a country with a strong familial culture and where welfare relies on households, confinement drastically decreased support provided by elder relatives, which may have resulted in mental health worsening.MethodsA web-based cross-sectional study (LOST in Italy) was conducted on a representative sample of Italian adults during lockdown (27th of April–3rd of May 2020). We asked 3156 subjects to report on reduced help in housework and childcare from retired parents to assess the impact of confinement on mental health, through validated scales before and during lockdown.ResultsOverall, 1484 (47.0%) subjects reported reduced housework help from parents, and 769 (64.0%, of the 1202 subjects with children) diminished babysitting support. Subjects reporting reduced housework help had worsened sleep quality (multivariate odds ratio, OR = 1.74, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.49–2.03) and quantity (OR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.28–1.76), depressive (OR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.14–1.53) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.32–1.78), compared to those reporting unreduced help. Worsening in sleep quality (OR = 2.32, 95% CI 1.76–3.05), and quantity (OR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.36–2.37), depressive (OR = 1.79, 95% CI 1.39–2.31) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.90, 95% CI 1.48–2.46) was also associated with reduced babysitting help. Mental health outcomes were worse in subjects with poorer housing and teleworking during lockdown.ConclusionConfinement came along with reduced familial support from parents, negatively impacting household members’ mental health. Our findings might inform evidence-based family and welfare policies to promote population health within and beyond pandemic times.
Journal Article
Treatments for elderly cancer patients and reforms to social security systems in Japan
In Japan, the population aged 65 years and above accounts for 29% of the total population. Furthermore, the number of cancer patients among the elderly is increasing. Geriatric oncology is a discipline that deals with appropriate care for elderly cancer patients based on their characteristics. The International Society of Geriatric Oncology considers education, treatment, research, and partnership building areas of significance and priority for policy goals. In Japan, the Third Term of the Basic Plan to Promote Cancer Control is an initiative to improve the infrastructure and health services involved in cancer care. Content related to “cancer in the elderly” was added to establish guidelines for treating cancer in the elderly. Thus far, “Clinical Practice Guidelines of Cancer Drug Therapies for the Elderly” have been published. With the increasing age of the population, social security expenditures will increase substantially after the fiscal year 2022. Reforms to social security systems, such as pensions, medical care, and nursing care, are underway. It is important to enhance cooperation between oncology and geriatrics and to support cooperative systems among families and medical professionals to promote geriatric oncology. Since the working-age population and the total population have begun to decline, Japan is facing many challenges. As a leader of a super-aging society, Japan has the potential to share its experience on a global scale and address potential long-term outcomes.
Journal Article
Integrating a Unified Revenue Administration for Tax and Social Contribution Collections: Experiences of Central and Eastern European Countries
During the 1990s, a failure to collect social contributions in Central and Eastern European countries deprived pension schemes of resources needed to meet their obligations. Based on these countries' experience, this paper examines the trend to increase coordination of tax and contribution collections. It sets out the rationale for establishing a unified agency as the best long-term strategy, and discusses policy and administrative issues in implementing this approach. The appendix presents three case studies for Albania, Bulgaria, and Romania, which are establishing a unified revenue administration. Another case study is presented for Sweden, which successfully integrated tax and social contributions collections in the 1980s.
eBook
Redesigning Social Security Systems in Some Selected Sub-Saharan African Countries
In recent years, social security policy has been re-evaluated as a crucial weapon in the struggle against social injustice and poverty. The livelihoods of many people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have largely been affected by a lack of financial resources. Many people in the region have social security. Contestably, the plight of many people in parts of this region has been exacerbated by rising unemployment. The purpose of this study is to assess the relevance and applicability of the existing social security arrangements. Existing social security strategies are fragmented and have not been inclusive enough to cater for all segments of society. The informal sector remains largely excluded from formal social security systems. A qualitative research methodology anchored on the analysis of secondary data was utilised. Collected data was analysed thematically. Findings from the systematic literature review revealed that social security systems in SSA need to evolve over time to ensure that some social security systems do not become redundant. Reforming social security systems is essential given that the environment is constantly changing. The strategies should address the emerging socio-economic challenges if they are to improve the welfare of the people. Thus, the social security needs to be reviewed and realigned with the prevailing economic situation. Progressive society has a duty to periodically assess current social security programmes to determine their applicability to current economic realities.
Journal Article
How life-table right-censoring affected the Brazilian social security factor: an application of the gamma-Gompertz-Makeham model
Automatic Adjustment Mechanisms (AAMs) are legal instruments that help social security systems respond to demographic and economic changes. In Brazil, the Social Security Factor (SSF) was introduced in the late 1990s as an AAM to link retirement benefits to life expectancy at the retirement age, hoping to promote contributory justice and discourage early retirement. Recent research has highlighted the limitations of right-censored life tables, such as those used in Brazil. It has recommended using the gamma-Gompertz-Makeham (ΓGM) model to estimate adult and old-age mortality. This study investigated the impact of right-censoring on the SSF by comparing the official SSF and other social security metrics with a counterfactual scenario computed based on fitted ΓGM models. The results indicate that from 2004 to 2012, official life tables may have negatively impacted retirees’ income, particularly for those who delayed their retirement. Furthermore, the ΓGM fitted models’ life expectancies had more stable paths over time, which could have helped with long-term planning. Our findings are significant for policymakers as they highlight the importance of using appropriate mortality metrics in AAMs to ensure accurate retirement benefit payments. They also underscore the need to consider the potential impacts of seemingly innocuous hypotheses on public action outcomes. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for policymakers looking to enhance the effectiveness and fairness of social security systems.
Journal Article