Agency on Aging

Public Policy


The impact of ageism in the public policy arena has had both positive and negative effects on older Americans. On the one hand, it has facilitated in the United States the construction of an old-age welfare state that has been very beneficial for older people. On the other hand, it has provided the foundation for negative stereotypes of older people and their political behavior.
Robert H. Binstock, Old-Age Policies, Politics, and Ageism