Support for Social Security remains high in the United States. As the population grows older, more Americans believe the government should step in to help families care for ageing adults. A new study led by Cornell University researchers shows that public attitudes toward ageing policies have shifted significantly over the past few decades. People are increasingly seeing elder care not just as a personal or family issue, but as a shared responsibility that deserves government support.
The researchers analysed data from the General Social Survey (GSS), a long-running, nationally representative poll. They found that between 1984 and 2022, support for increased spending on Social Security rose to nearly 58%, an increase of more than eight percentage points. Interestingly, the political divide on this issue has narrowed, with Democrats and Republicans now showing similar levels of support for Social Security spending.
Beyond Social Security, more Americans now believe the government should help older adults with daily tasks like grocery shopping, cleaning, and laundry. Around 50% of respondents support government assistance with these tasks, up from 38% in 2012. Lead researcher Adriana Reyes noted that this reflects a broad and growing agreement that more needs to be done to support older adults and their families.
While support for direct government provision of care services is still relatively low, it is growing. The share of Americans backing government-run services for older adults increased from 14% to 24% over the past decade. This trend suggests that as caregiving needs become more pressing, the public is slowly warming up to more comprehensive forms of government support.
Although Democrats and independents are more likely than Republicans to favour government-funded care services, overall support for policies that help older adults is rising across the political spectrum. With the ageing population continuing to grow, these changing attitudes may influence future decisions on how the government addresses elder care in the years ahead.
More information: Adriana Reyes et al, Attitudes Toward Government Supports for Older Adults in the U.S. (1984–2022), Journal of Aging & Social Policy. DOI: 10.1080/08959420.2025.2523128
Journal information: Journal of Aging & Social Policy Provided by Cornell University
