“As America’s Social Security program nears a fiscal tipping point, Reimagining Social Security challenges us to think boldly about the future. Combining expert perspectives, global lessons, and practical solutions, this timely book shows how the US can preserve retirement security while empowering individuals and shielding our grandchildren from rising debt and taxes.”
—Olivia S. Mitchell, professor of business economics and policy, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
“This book must be read by anyone interested in Social Security reform. It brings together experts from the US and abroad to examine successful Social Security reforms undertaken by other advanced countries. Reimagining Social Security provides a fresh perspective on how US Social Security program can be fundamentally reformed. I finished the book with renewed optimism about the prospects for reform.”
—John F. Cogan, Leonard and Shirley Ely Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, and author, The High Cost of Good Intentions
“Social Security reform is neither a right- nor left-wing agenda. No program, however commendable, can command an ever-larger share of society’s resources. While the book emphasizes benefits but not tax adjustments that may be necessary, I find particularly appealing how Boccia and Nachkebia illustrate how other countries—but not the US—adapt to uncertain demographic shifts in life expectancy and birth rates—a vital requirement for sustainable reform.”
—Eugene Steuerle, Richard B. Fisher chair, Urban Institute
“Boccia and Nachkebia provide a welcome reality check to the Social Security policy discussion, accurately diagnosing not only our national pension system’s problems but their causes. Though the picture is a daunting one, the reader is not left without answers.”
—Charles Blahous, J. Fish and Lillian F. Smith Chair, Mercatus Center, and former public trustee for Social Security and Medicare
“This book is a must-read for any policymakers who are concerned about the future of the Social Security program—and about the federal government’s unsustainable finances more generally. The discussions are thoughtful and nuanced, drawing lessons from public pension systems in other countries.”
—Sita Nataraj Slavov, professor of public policy, Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University; and faculty research fellow, National Bureau of Economic Research
“This book, a conversation among policy experts, about the lessons learned from the creative Social Security reforms of other countries is a valuable contribution to the necessary discussion the American public and policymakers must have on the overdue structural changes needed to our own Social Security system.”
—Mark J. Warshawsky, senior fellow and Wilson H. Taylor Chair in Health Care and Retirement Policy, American Enterprise Institute
“America’s Social Security program has now gone more than four decades without reform. Boccia and Nachkebia perform a valuable service by detailing what we can learn from other countries’ retirement systems. Several nations have demonstrated that it is possible to achieve lower rates of poverty among seniors with a better-targeted public pension system that does less to burden working adults.”
—Christopher Pope, senior fellow, Manhattan Institute
“Social Security’s growing deficits and impending insolvency threaten to upend the federal budget and the retirement of tens of millions of Americans. Yet most Americans and even many members of Congress do not fully grasp Social Security’s financial challenges. Boccia and Nachkebia articulately define the funding challenge, explore reform options, and take us on a tour of successful reforms in other developed nations.”
—Jessica Riedl, senior fellow, Manhattan Institute
“Good options must be on the shelf and ready to go when policymakers turn to solving problems. By comparing other countries’ experiences to America’s, Reimagining Social Security shows several ways to balance retirement security, prosperity, freedom, and modest taxpayer burdens. These lessons will help Congress succeed when the time comes.”
—Kurt Couchman, senior fellow in fiscal policy, Americans for Prosperity
“This book shows that the US’s looming Social Security crisis is not unique and that other countries were able to reform their retirement income systems while continuing to shield their elderly populations from poverty. If we adopted the reforms Boccia and Nachkebia advocate for in this book, we would not only avert a fiscal catastrophe but would have a retirement system that is more consistent with American values of individual choice and freedom.”
—Alex Durante, senior economist, Tax Foundation
“Policymakers need look no further than Reimagining Social Security for a road map to reforming the nation’s primary social insurance program. Boccia and Nachkebia offer solutions to this challenge that are grounded in a sweeping evaluation of international social insurance programs and can ensure Social Security remains a durable source of dignity and security for America’s retirees.”
—Gordon Gray, executive director, Pinpoint Policy Institute
“Social Security will be broke within a decade, before anyone of Generation X or younger receives a single full benefit. And politicians have no credible plan to fix it. The longer policymakers wait, the higher the costs will be of preserving Social Security. The good news is that common-sense changes like those discussed in Reimagining Social Security would not only preserve Social Security but also make it a stronger program for younger and future generations.”
—Rachel Greszler, senior research fellow in workforce and public finance, Heritage Foundation, and visiting fellow in workforce, Economic Policy Innovation Center
