Overview
Programs and Public Policy
You will answer several comprehensive questions on gerontological public policy, emphasizing the foundation for aging policy in the US upon which we will use to understand programs and services focused in the second half of the course.
1) Describe the policy making process of the US system of government. Who are the major actors and what are their roles in the policy making process? What are the pros and cons of this system? What relevance do these characteristics have for gerontology as a professional field and for older adults?
2) How does “old age” make any difference when it comes to politics in the US? Why are politics not just politics regardless of age? How are politics different when one factors in older adults?
3 How does the field of gerontology look at the theoretical views of aging policy? How does theory play into how we understand the actual practice of public policy in the everyday lives of older adults?
4) How do different subgroups of older adults impact the picture of aging politics such as persons of different ethnicities? How has the continuously increasing average age of the older adult been changing the nature of old age politics?