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Demographic, Social-Psychological, and Political Factors in the Politics of Aging: A Foundation for Research in “Political Gerontology”*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Neal E. Cutler
Neal E. Cutler*
Affiliation:
University of Southern California
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Abstract

“Political gerontology” is the study of the political aspects of aging and the aged. Although psychology and sociology have research subfields concerning aging, this interest is just beginning to develop systematically within political science. Consequently, this article describes theory and research from several disciplines which together provide a foundation for research in “political gerontology.” Demographic analysis suggests that old people constitute a continuously growing component of the American population. Social-psychological analysis indicates that the aged are likely to engage in substantial political activity. Political analysis suggests that old people are likely to make increasing demands upon the political system. This multidisciplinary knowledge base, combined with the predicted increasing political salience of the aging population, suggests the contours of a research agenda for “political gerontology.”

Type
Articles
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 71 , Issue 3 , September 1977 , pp. 1011 - 1025
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1977

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Footnotes

*

The author holds a joint appointment in the Department of Political Science, and as Laboratory Chief, Social Policy Laboratory, in the University's Andrus Gerontology Center. The research project of which this paper is a part has been supported by Administration on Aging Grant 93–P–5762/9. The author wishes to extend his thanks to the following for their comments on an earlier draft: James Birren, James Davies, Frederick Eisele, Daniel Fritz, Kenneth Janda, and K. Warner Schaie, with special gratitude to Vern Bengtson for his multifaceted colleagueship in the socialization of a gerontologist.

References

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2 Ibid.

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