Aging Policy and Politics in the Trump Era

The surprise election of Donald J. Trump to the presidency of the United States marks a singular turning point in the American republic - not only because of his idiosyncratic approach to the office, but also because the Republican Party now holds the presidency and both houses of Congress, presenting a historic opportunity for change. The role of older Americans has been critical in both shaping and reacting to this political moment. Their political orientations and behaviors have shaped it through their electoral support for Republican candidates. But, older Americans stand as highly invested stakeholders in the policy decisions made by the very officials they elected and as beneficiaries of the programs that Republicans have targeted for cuts or elimination. This comprehensive volume explores the ways in which Trump administration policies are likely to significantly undermine the social safety net for near-elderly and older Americans, including long-term care, housing, health care, and retirement. The authors also explore how the Trump administration might shape politics and political behavior through the policy changes made. The response of older voters, in upcoming elections, to efforts by the Trump administration and its Republican allies in Congress to draw back on the federal government's commitment to programs and policies affecting them will shape the direction of aging policy and politics for years to come. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Aging & Social Policy.

Edward Alan Miller is Professor in the Department of Gerontology, John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, USA and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, School of Public Health at Brown University, Providence, USA. His research focuses on understanding the determinants and effects of federal and state policies affecting frail and disabled elders. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Aging & Social Policy and is a Fellow of The Gerontological Society of America, Washington, D.C., USA. Pamela Nadash is Associate Professor in the Department of Gerontology, John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, USA. Her work centers on policies that enable people with long-term care needs to access required supportive services with a special interest in policies that support informed choice. She is Book Review Editor for the Journal of Aging & Social Policy and is a Fellow of The Gerontological Society of America, Washington, D.C., USA. Michael K. Gusmano is Associate Professor of Health Systems and Policy at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA; a Research Scholar at The Hastings Center, Garrison, USA; and a Visiting Fellow in the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government at the University at Albany - State University of New York, USA. His research examines the politics of health reform, technology assessment, social and long-term care, and local adaptation to population aging.

1. Introduction: The state of aging policy and politics in the Trump era 2. Financing long-term services and supports: challenges, goals, and needed reforms 3. The housing challenges of low-income older adults and the role of federal policy 4. Collision course? Donald Trump, Paul Ryan, and the fate of Medicare 5. A series of unfortunate events: implications of Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act for older adults 6. Undermining the ACA through the executive branch and federalism: what the Trump administration's approach to health reform means for older Americans 7. The Trump Administration's assault on health and social programs: potential consequences for older Hispanics 8. Trump and the GOP agenda: implications for retirement policy 9. Policy responses during the Trump administration to older people's growing economic risk exposure 10. Draining the swamp while making America great again: senior dissonance in the age of Trump 11. Medicaid retrenchment politics: fragmented or unified? 12. Organizing seniors to protect the health safety net: the way forward