Attitudes Toward Government Supports for Older Adults in the U.S. (1984–2022)

Abstract

Roughly 10,000 older adults turn 65 each day, an age which many people start to rely more on government supports to help meet their needs. In the United States, programs for older adults receive strong public support, but how attitudes toward these programs have shifted over time as the population ages is unclear. Furthermore, different groups may have different views. This study uses data from the 1984 to 2022 General Social Survey (GSS), a nationally representative survey of U.S. attitudes, to estimate trends in support for government programs for older adults. Attitudes toward more spending on Social Security and retirement have been stable, with slight increases over the last 40 years. Support for more government-provided care, which includes assistance with household tasks, payment for such care, and government direct care services, has increased over the last decade. Older adults, ages 65 and older, are less likely to support government spending on programs than adults ages 18–64. Differences in political affiliation are shrinking over time for Social Security but increasing for payment for care. The popularity of these programs suggests policymakers should seek to sustain them and introduce new programs to help offset the costs of care.