Reimagining Social Security: Global Lessons for Retirement Policy Changes
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Featuring
Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
J. Fish and Lillian F. Smith Chair and Senior Research Strategist, Mercatus Center at George Mason University
Research Associate, Cato Institute
Senior Research Fellow, Heritage Foundation
Research Associate, Cato Institute
Research Consultant, Cato Institute
Professor of Public Policy in the Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University
Senior Fellow and Wilson H. Taylor Chair in Health Care and Retirement Policy, American Enterprise Institute
Join us for the official launch of Reimagining Social Security: Global Lessons for Retirement Policy Changes by Romina Boccia and Ivane Nachkebia, a timely and urgent new book in which the authors rethink how America can safeguard retirement security for current and future generations. As the Social Security program nears a fiscal tipping point, the authors bring together expert insights, international case studies, and actionable policy solutions to show how the United States can reform its retirement system without burdening younger generations with unsustainable debt and taxes.
Now marking its 90th year, Social Security faces a critical moment: by 2033, the program’s trust fund depletion could trigger automatic benefit cuts of 23 percent unless Congress acts. Reimagining Social Security dives into the root causes of this crisis and explores how reforms adopted in countries including Canada, Germany, Sweden, and New Zealand can offer valuable guidance for the United States. Through original interviews and novel analysis, the authors present a compelling case for bold reforms that take a meaningful step toward fiscal sustainability while safeguarding a vital source of income for many retirees and protecting workers from undue tax burdens that reduce their choices and opportunities for a better life.
The event will feature presentations and panel discussions with leading experts in retirement and fiscal policy. Join us for a timely discussion on principled, evidence-based reforms to restore Social Security’s fiscal sustainability and to protect future generations from mounting debt and economic decline—before it’s too late. Complimentary breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Schedule
Breakfast
Public Opinion and the Path to Reform
Romina Boccia, Director of Budget and Entitlement Policy at the Cato Institute
Hunter Johnson, Research Associate for the Project on Public Opinion at the Cato Institute
Ivane Nachkebia, Research Consultant, Budget and Entitlement Policy at the Cato Institute
Break
Panel Discussion: Transitioning to a Flat-Benefit System
Andrew Biggs, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
Chris Pope, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute
Sita Slavov, Professor of Public Policy in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University
Moderated by Romina Boccia, Director of Budget and Entitlement Policy at the Cato Institute
Break
Panel Discussion: Slowing the Growth of Social Security
Charles Blahous, J. Fish and Lillian F. Smith Chair and Senior Research Strategist at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University
Jason Fichtner, Executive Director of the Retirement Income Institute
Mark J. Warshawsky, Senior Fellow and Wilson H. Taylor Chair in Health Care and Retirement Policy at the American Enterprise Institute
Moderated by Douglas Criscitello, Program Integrity Fellow at Arnold Ventures
Break
Panel Discussion: Enhancing Private Retirement Savings
Andrew Biggs, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
David John, Senior Strategic Policy Advisor at the AARP Public Policy Institute
Adam N. Michel, Director of Tax Policy Studies at the Cato Institute; Former Deputy Staff Director at the US Congress Joint Economic Committee
Moderated by Rachel Greszler, Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation
Lunch
Cato Social Security Model Presentation (optional session)
Krit Chanwong, Research Associate at the Cato Institute
Featured Book
Reimagining Social Security
America’s largest entitlement program turns 90 this year—and it’s on life support. There’s no trust fund, just IOUs from the federal government and trillions in borrowing to keep the program afloat. By 2033—just eight years from now—Social Security will go bust. If nothing changes, benefits will be slashed by 20 percent or more.
However, there is a remedy. Reimagining Social Security: Global Lessons for Retirement Policy Changes explains what is wrong with Social Security and how major retirement program reforms from Canada, Germany, New Zealand, and Sweden could work in the United States. Combining interviews and new analysis, this book lays out real-world solutions that protect seniors, preserve individual liberty, and fit the American economic model.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.