Robert W. Fogel
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199226801
- eISBN:
- 9780191710285
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199226801.003.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Pensions and Pension Management
This foreword provides an overview of demographic development during the past three centuries, as life expectancy and per-capita growth of GDP have increased dramatically. Due to the intense ...
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This foreword provides an overview of demographic development during the past three centuries, as life expectancy and per-capita growth of GDP have increased dramatically. Due to the intense interplay between physiological improvement and technological advances, humans have increased their body size by more than 50% in the past two centuries, and the betterment of general sanitation, reduction of air pollution in the cities, and higher food intake have improved life expectancy. It is argued that demographers have consistently underestimated the impact of such improvements and, consequently, have underestimated gains in life expectancy. With more workers living longer and healthier lives, men in Western countries have four times more leisure than they did a century ago, and this trend will continue. This achievement has devastating financial implications for already overburdened social security systems and calls for a careful re-examination of social security to ensure future sustainability.Less
This foreword provides an overview of demographic development during the past three centuries, as life expectancy and per-capita growth of GDP have increased dramatically. Due to the intense interplay between physiological improvement and technological advances, humans have increased their body size by more than 50% in the past two centuries, and the betterment of general sanitation, reduction of air pollution in the cities, and higher food intake have improved life expectancy. It is argued that demographers have consistently underestimated the impact of such improvements and, consequently, have underestimated gains in life expectancy. With more workers living longer and healthier lives, men in Western countries have four times more leisure than they did a century ago, and this trend will continue. This achievement has devastating financial implications for already overburdened social security systems and calls for a careful re-examination of social security to ensure future sustainability.
John Ameriks and Olivia S. Mitchell (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199549108
- eISBN:
- 9780191720734
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199549108.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Pensions and Pension Management
As Baby Boomers are now in their 60s, policymaker and media attention is becoming focused on how this generation will manage during its long period in retirement. This book acknowledges that many, ...
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As Baby Boomers are now in their 60s, policymaker and media attention is becoming focused on how this generation will manage during its long period in retirement. This book acknowledges that many, though not all, in this age group have accumulated substantial assets, so they are now asking themselves what they will do with what they have. The book explores of how people entering retirement will deploy their accumulated assets in the near and long term to meet their myriad spending, investment, and other objectives. The book studies emerging issues regarding assets and expectations on the verge of retirement, including uncertainty regarding life expectancy and morbidity. It is composed of chapters from contributors including a Nobel Laureate and a wonderful mix of academics and practitioners from the legal, financial, and economic fields.Less
As Baby Boomers are now in their 60s, policymaker and media attention is becoming focused on how this generation will manage during its long period in retirement. This book acknowledges that many, though not all, in this age group have accumulated substantial assets, so they are now asking themselves what they will do with what they have. The book explores of how people entering retirement will deploy their accumulated assets in the near and long term to meet their myriad spending, investment, and other objectives. The book studies emerging issues regarding assets and expectations on the verge of retirement, including uncertainty regarding life expectancy and morbidity. It is composed of chapters from contributors including a Nobel Laureate and a wonderful mix of academics and practitioners from the legal, financial, and economic fields.
Margaret Pabst Battin
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195140279
- eISBN:
- 9780199850280
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195140279.003.0015
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
Is there a duty to die? This inflammatory question, often originally attributed to then-Governor of Colorado Richard Lamm, was being explored some years ago within the context of American health ...
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Is there a duty to die? This inflammatory question, often originally attributed to then-Governor of Colorado Richard Lamm, was being explored some years ago within the context of American health care, but lately has dropped out of sight. If the strongest argument for the existence of a duty to die, rooted in Norman Daniels' early Rawlsian reconstruction, is supplemented by Allen Buchanan's distinctive approach to issues of international justice, it is possible that a new, stronger duty to die might emerge from this conjunction. This “duty to die” is sneaking up on us as we explore multilateralist, cosmopolitan accounts of international relations. In some familiar senses, we already recognize a variety of “duties to die” — including obligations to allow oneself to die, to risk dying, to let oneself be killed, or kill oneself — in a wide range of traditional circumstances. This chapter examines the notion of the duty to die and global life expectancies and compares the views of Dan Callahan, Norman Daniels, and John Hardwig.Less
Is there a duty to die? This inflammatory question, often originally attributed to then-Governor of Colorado Richard Lamm, was being explored some years ago within the context of American health care, but lately has dropped out of sight. If the strongest argument for the existence of a duty to die, rooted in Norman Daniels' early Rawlsian reconstruction, is supplemented by Allen Buchanan's distinctive approach to issues of international justice, it is possible that a new, stronger duty to die might emerge from this conjunction. This “duty to die” is sneaking up on us as we explore multilateralist, cosmopolitan accounts of international relations. In some familiar senses, we already recognize a variety of “duties to die” — including obligations to allow oneself to die, to risk dying, to let oneself be killed, or kill oneself — in a wide range of traditional circumstances. This chapter examines the notion of the duty to die and global life expectancies and compares the views of Dan Callahan, Norman Daniels, and John Hardwig.
Johannes Siegrist and Michael Marmot (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780198568162
- eISBN:
- 9780191724107
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198568162.001.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
Health inequalities according to people's social standing are persisting, or even growing, in modern societies. Recent decades have revealed evidence of strong variations in life expectancy, both ...
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Health inequalities according to people's social standing are persisting, or even growing, in modern societies. Recent decades have revealed evidence of strong variations in life expectancy, both between countries and within them. This widening of social inequalities has developed despite considerable progress in medical science and an increase in health care spending. The reasons behind this are complex, and the implications considerable. This book provides a summary of the major achievements of a five-year European Science Foundation (ESF) Programme on ‘Social Variations in Health Expectancy in Europe’. The contributors to this book are major figures in their subjects, and combine state of the art reviews with the latest results from interdisciplinary research in epidemiology, sociology, psychology, and biomedicine. Three conceptual frameworks of life course influences, health effects of stressful environments, and macro social determinants of health, are unified, while each chapter addresses the policy implications and recommendations derived from currently available evidence. The major topics covered include the role of family in early life, social integration and health, work stress and job security, successful ways of facing adversity, and the impact of the larger environment on health.Less
Health inequalities according to people's social standing are persisting, or even growing, in modern societies. Recent decades have revealed evidence of strong variations in life expectancy, both between countries and within them. This widening of social inequalities has developed despite considerable progress in medical science and an increase in health care spending. The reasons behind this are complex, and the implications considerable. This book provides a summary of the major achievements of a five-year European Science Foundation (ESF) Programme on ‘Social Variations in Health Expectancy in Europe’. The contributors to this book are major figures in their subjects, and combine state of the art reviews with the latest results from interdisciplinary research in epidemiology, sociology, psychology, and biomedicine. Three conceptual frameworks of life course influences, health effects of stressful environments, and macro social determinants of health, are unified, while each chapter addresses the policy implications and recommendations derived from currently available evidence. The major topics covered include the role of family in early life, social integration and health, work stress and job security, successful ways of facing adversity, and the impact of the larger environment on health.
Colin D Mathers and Ruth Bonita
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199236626
- eISBN:
- 9780191724053
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199236626.003.0002
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
This chapter provides an overview of the global health status and highlights the importance of capturing, with a range of new measures, the health transformations that are taking place in the context ...
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This chapter provides an overview of the global health status and highlights the importance of capturing, with a range of new measures, the health transformations that are taking place in the context of continuing global change. Topics discussed include measures of health status, life expectancy, mortality and causes of death, morbidity and disability, global disease burden in 2004, and projections of future trends in mortality.Less
This chapter provides an overview of the global health status and highlights the importance of capturing, with a range of new measures, the health transformations that are taking place in the context of continuing global change. Topics discussed include measures of health status, life expectancy, mortality and causes of death, morbidity and disability, global disease burden in 2004, and projections of future trends in mortality.
Graziella Caselli, Sven Drefahl, Christian Wegner-Siegmundt, and Marc Luy
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780198703167
- eISBN:
- 9780191772467
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198703167.003.0005
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Public and Welfare
Chapter 5 provides an overview of past and expected future trends in life expectancy in populations of today’s low mortality countries. Because these populations previously experienced strong ...
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Chapter 5 provides an overview of past and expected future trends in life expectancy in populations of today’s low mortality countries. Because these populations previously experienced strong decreases in infant mortality, the future mortality trends will be driven mainly by mortality among the old and oldest-old. The chapter gathers empirical background data and theoretical considerations about past and likely future determinants of mortality, including smoking, obesity, biomedical progress, environmental changes, and socio-economic conditions. Based on this knowledge, an Internet expert survey and an invited experts meeting were carried out to formulate expert-based assumptions for future trends in life expectancy. The presented evidence and substantive arguments indicate that the positive influences on human life expectancy will likely outweigh the negative risk factors, leading to further increases in life expectancy. Moreover, the chapter concludes that the differences in life expectancy between countries are likely to narrow further in the future.Less
Chapter 5 provides an overview of past and expected future trends in life expectancy in populations of today’s low mortality countries. Because these populations previously experienced strong decreases in infant mortality, the future mortality trends will be driven mainly by mortality among the old and oldest-old. The chapter gathers empirical background data and theoretical considerations about past and likely future determinants of mortality, including smoking, obesity, biomedical progress, environmental changes, and socio-economic conditions. Based on this knowledge, an Internet expert survey and an invited experts meeting were carried out to formulate expert-based assumptions for future trends in life expectancy. The presented evidence and substantive arguments indicate that the positive influences on human life expectancy will likely outweigh the negative risk factors, leading to further increases in life expectancy. Moreover, the chapter concludes that the differences in life expectancy between countries are likely to narrow further in the future.
Peter A. Diamond
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199247899
- eISBN:
- 9780191697692
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199247899.001.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Financial Economics, Public and Welfare
Social security systems are being reviewed and changed in many countries around the world. This book considers some of the key policy issues for design of a social security reform, as well as ...
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Social security systems are being reviewed and changed in many countries around the world. This book considers some of the key policy issues for design of a social security reform, as well as reviewing much of the academic literature on the positive and normative aspects of social security. The first chapter provides an examination of key policy issues of general concern includes the funding of social security, the comparison of defined benefit and defined contribution systems, notional defined contribution accounts, alternative approaches to organizing individual defined contribution accounts, and the provision of survivor benefits. The book then turns to the academic literature on the interactions between social security and the labor and capital markets, providing a non-technical overview of the existing literature and pointing-out gaps in current research findings. The second chapter reviews the impact on retirement decisions of forced savings, the use of an earnings or retirement test, mandated annuitization, recognizing heterogeneity in both life expectancy and possibly in risk classification for annuity pricing, and treatment of the family, particularly the use of joint-life annuitization. Also reviewed is the impact on labor supply at younger ages, considering mandatory savings and annuitization, contrasting defined benefit and defined contribution systems, and analysing alternative approaches to redistribution within social security. The final chapter covers issues of aggregate capital accumulation and risk-sharing, with the latter including the risks in annuitization, in the returns to capital, and in aggregate earnings. Also considered are the risks in the political process.Less
Social security systems are being reviewed and changed in many countries around the world. This book considers some of the key policy issues for design of a social security reform, as well as reviewing much of the academic literature on the positive and normative aspects of social security. The first chapter provides an examination of key policy issues of general concern includes the funding of social security, the comparison of defined benefit and defined contribution systems, notional defined contribution accounts, alternative approaches to organizing individual defined contribution accounts, and the provision of survivor benefits. The book then turns to the academic literature on the interactions between social security and the labor and capital markets, providing a non-technical overview of the existing literature and pointing-out gaps in current research findings. The second chapter reviews the impact on retirement decisions of forced savings, the use of an earnings or retirement test, mandated annuitization, recognizing heterogeneity in both life expectancy and possibly in risk classification for annuity pricing, and treatment of the family, particularly the use of joint-life annuitization. Also reviewed is the impact on labor supply at younger ages, considering mandatory savings and annuitization, contrasting defined benefit and defined contribution systems, and analysing alternative approaches to redistribution within social security. The final chapter covers issues of aggregate capital accumulation and risk-sharing, with the latter including the risks in annuitization, in the returns to capital, and in aggregate earnings. Also considered are the risks in the political process.
Juris Krumins and Uldis Usackis
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198297413
- eISBN:
- 9780191685347
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198297413.003.0012
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
During the 19th and 20th centuries, Latvia — as well as its neighbouring countries of Estonia and Lithuania forming the Baltic States — enjoyed a remarkable healthcare system resulting in a life ...
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During the 19th and 20th centuries, Latvia — as well as its neighbouring countries of Estonia and Lithuania forming the Baltic States — enjoyed a remarkable healthcare system resulting in a life expectancy of ten years longer than that of Russia’s. It’s life expectancy even exceeded the life expectancies of Italy, Germany and Austria. When Latvia was politically independent, its life expectancy further increased by two years. However, events like World War II, repression against civil population, collapse of the USSR, the persistent mismanagement of the USSR and the subsequent transition from command economy to market economy strongly influenced the population of Latvia. The chapter particularly studies the factors affecting the mortality rate of Latvia during the transition period which shall base its findings from statistical data.Less
During the 19th and 20th centuries, Latvia — as well as its neighbouring countries of Estonia and Lithuania forming the Baltic States — enjoyed a remarkable healthcare system resulting in a life expectancy of ten years longer than that of Russia’s. It’s life expectancy even exceeded the life expectancies of Italy, Germany and Austria. When Latvia was politically independent, its life expectancy further increased by two years. However, events like World War II, repression against civil population, collapse of the USSR, the persistent mismanagement of the USSR and the subsequent transition from command economy to market economy strongly influenced the population of Latvia. The chapter particularly studies the factors affecting the mortality rate of Latvia during the transition period which shall base its findings from statistical data.
Giovanni Andrea Cornia and Renato Paniccià
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198297413
- eISBN:
- 9780191685347
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198297413.003.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
The study focuses on the behavior of mortality rates of fourteen countries in Eastern and Central Europe during the transition period. Mortality rates differ from country to country: the Czech ...
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The study focuses on the behavior of mortality rates of fourteen countries in Eastern and Central Europe during the transition period. Mortality rates differ from country to country: the Czech Republic has the most improved life expectancy rate while Russia and the Baltic States having the highest mortality rates and hence lower life expectancy. Different factors are considered by the study which affects the mortality rates of these countries. However, the study also considers the increased mortality rates in these countries as either a continuation of the unhealthy lifestyle under the USSR or an effect of other events like the World War II or the famine in the early 1920's that affected the USSR. Numerous factors are also cited by the study. The study finally proposes solutions to this unexplainable rise in the mortality rates of these countries.Less
The study focuses on the behavior of mortality rates of fourteen countries in Eastern and Central Europe during the transition period. Mortality rates differ from country to country: the Czech Republic has the most improved life expectancy rate while Russia and the Baltic States having the highest mortality rates and hence lower life expectancy. Different factors are considered by the study which affects the mortality rates of these countries. However, the study also considers the increased mortality rates in these countries as either a continuation of the unhealthy lifestyle under the USSR or an effect of other events like the World War II or the famine in the early 1920's that affected the USSR. Numerous factors are also cited by the study. The study finally proposes solutions to this unexplainable rise in the mortality rates of these countries.
Philip T. Hoffman, David S. Jacks, Patricia A. Levin, and Peter H. Lindert
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- July 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199280681
- eISBN:
- 9780191602467
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199280681.003.0007
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
The concept of real, as opposed to nominal or conventional, income inequality reveals pronounced inequality movements, because relative prices happened to move very differently for the poor and the ...
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The concept of real, as opposed to nominal or conventional, income inequality reveals pronounced inequality movements, because relative prices happened to move very differently for the poor and the rich before 1914. Between 1500 and 1790 to 1815, the prices of staple foods rose much more than the prices of what the rich consumed. This greatly magnified the rise in real-income inequality. The opposite happened between 1815 and 1914. Looking at life expectancy, rather than at annual income or consumption, we again find a widening of inequality in the eighteenth century, at least within the countries of Western Europe.Less
The concept of real, as opposed to nominal or conventional, income inequality reveals pronounced inequality movements, because relative prices happened to move very differently for the poor and the rich before 1914. Between 1500 and 1790 to 1815, the prices of staple foods rose much more than the prices of what the rich consumed. This greatly magnified the rise in real-income inequality. The opposite happened between 1815 and 1914. Looking at life expectancy, rather than at annual income or consumption, we again find a widening of inequality in the eighteenth century, at least within the countries of Western Europe.
