The topic of the subject of power and class in the US is best understood by reading a book published by Domhoff (2013). The book focuses on the rich use of resources to influence various political decisions. The book focuses on four key areas through which elite exercise power in the US. The four processes include the special-interest process, the policy-planning process, the opinion-shaping process, and the candidate selection process. The four processes are crucial in the current debate on social security and determining the future of social security in the United States. The paper will focus on the first three processes analyzed in the book and discuss how the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the Cato Institute exercise their power. The two organizations Domhoff's (2013) argument on how power is exercised in the US focusing on social security.
The Chosen Organizations
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) was established to take care of the needs of the elderly aged 50 years and above. AARP realizes elders' essential needs since the majority are unemployed, and their chance of getting a job is minimal. The organization appreciates the elders' vast contribution in serving the nation and their community through paying taxes and participating in essential activities like voting (AARP. 2020). More information on AARP can be found in https://www.aarp.org . The second organization selected is the Cato Institute, a public policy research institute founded in 1977. The organization was formed to offer advisory on a free market, limited government, individual liberty, and peace ( Cato Institute, 2020) . The organization works with several independent and nonpartisan organizations to research on various policy issues. Cato Institute does not receive government funding and thus reduces bias and favoritism when ad visiting and correcting the government. More information about the organization can be found in https://www.cato.org/ .
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Organization’s Political Viewpoint
After reviewing the literature on the political opinion of the American Association of Retired Persons and Cato Institute, it is deduced that AARP follows a liberal political viewpoint while Cato Institute is based on conservative political views. A study conducted by Amenta (2014) shows that the society is shifting to understand the impact of political institutions in social changes. Democrats represent the conservative party, which AARP is its allies. AARP organization also favors social security, which is an indicator that it supports political liberals' viewpoint. The theory of power (Class-dormination theory) by Domhioff (2013) asserts that some organizations operate on pretense of being aloof from government politics. However, these same organizations push for policies in the current government. Despite been established as an independent institution, AARP are allies with Democrats and get involved in politics. Similarly, Cato Institute engages in political affairs as evidemce by information in their websites. A publication in Cato Institutes' website named "Class Warfare: The Mortal Enemy of Economic Growth and Jobs" reveals that the organization is secretly involved in conservative political views.
Type of Organization
AARP and Cato Institute have a differing type of organization since their opinions differ. Domhoff classifies the organizations as either moderate-conservative or corporate-conservative (2013). In moderate-conservative, the organizations are well-coordinated and ultraconservative. Several large organizations and tens of thousands of small family foundations allow few wealthy or elite individuals to offer support for charities and high cultures to local and states levels in the form of small gifts. Based on this information, AARF falls under moderate-conservative. In an article published by Surgey & Sloan (2016), AARP is secretly funding the American legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization whose bills are against ordinary Americans' interests like retirees and their families. The organization supports such policies to benefit a few wealthy private organizations and institutions. Domhoff argues that some liberal organizations are financed by liberal foundations, wealthy liberals, unions, and direct mail appeal (2013). Some of the liberal organizations also get funding from organizations controlled by moderate conservative to the great annoyance of ultraconservatives.
The Upper-class in American society gives policy-oriented grants to many central think tanks and policy groups in America. Most of the policy networks have at least one connection with the largest organizations, while others have more. As a think tank, Cato Institute falls under corporate-conservative. According to Domholf (2013), most policy-making organizations fall under think tanks and have a high connection with Fortune 500 firms. When studying the Cato Institute database, it is evident that significant business groups fall under its policy-planning network (Cato Institute, 2020). However, most of its opinion-making aims at defining good Americanism based on stressing individualism, advocating for peace, and liberty.
Contrast the different views about social security
AARF and the Cato Institute have a differing view on social security. According to Domhoff (2013), most organizations aimed to protect Americans on social security issues are run and dominated by a group or class of wealthy elites who push for policies that favor them. As part of moderate-conservative, AARP believes that Americans have been facing the financial crisis in social security for several decades. AARP is against the introduction of system of private retirement account which would lead to the diversion of portion Social Security taxes to private accounts. Special-interest policies argue that most social-security policies favor the corporate rich majority and wealthy individuals through redirecting tax breaks, research grants, subsidy payment, government purchases, and regulations that benefit major private corporations (Domhoff, 2013). AARP support that social security is the best way to offer retirement security. The AARP Social Security Resource Center is one of the online retirement planning tools that help elders figure out their eligibility for social security payment and get guidance on how to get benefits. Link to the website https://www.aarp.org/retirement . As a liberal politics, AARF proposes a change in market structure to further the interest of older consumers and small organization; however, they face opposition from corporate leaders who seek to control the labor market, which is essential in the corporate community instead of forming a private retirement account.
Cato Institute also believes that social security faces severe financial pressure and high taxation that political parties and candidates need to discuss. As a policy advisory organization, the Cato Institute's intricate and arcane tax breaks are essential aspects of special interest groups (Domhoff, 2013). According to Tanner (2004), Congress needs to restore Social Security to long term sustainability solvency and allow young employees to invest in social security payroll taxes through individual accounts privately. Different from AARP, Cato Institute is against the use of social security to offer retirement security. a "pay-as-you-go" (PAYGO) social security program is a form of wealth transfer from current workers to current retirees, and it is the source of the financial crisis experienced (Edwards & Tanner, 2013). Today, American us experiencing a decrease in the labor force, and baby boomers are increasing yearly. It is expected that by 2034, only 2.2 will be covered workers and benefit from social security due to a deficit in cash-flow (Cato Institute, 2020). Cato Institute proposes that the current crisis in social security can be reformed by partly privatizing social security. The proposal would restore the social security program to long-term longevity.
Critical evaluation AARP and Nato Institute Sites
AARP websites provide adequate information and facts regarding their function in protecting the elderly in society. The organization provides factual information on its various programs aimed at protecting their liberal viewpoint. According to Domhoff (2013), the ideas presented in liberal political organization's websites and unions need to show their corporate community's challenge. These organizations receive financial support from labor unions and grants from liberal foundations and mainstream foundations. AARP's policy proposal is not convincing and does not offer an adequate solution to solve the financial crisis faced by social security. In the link https://www.aarp.org/retirement/ , it is evidenced that the future of social security to provide retirement benefit is slowly fading since “Social Security Trust Fund is expected to Run out by 2031 as Pandemic takes toll on reserves that pay benefits."
Similarly, Nato Institute’s websites provide factual information on the free market, limited government, individual liberty, social security and peace. Cato Institute offers advice to the current government agencies on politics, economy, and social welfare. An article written by Gwartney et al. (2017), examines the issue of economy freedom. Another article found in Cato Institute website gives advice to President Trump on matters of administration ( Yeatman, 2020) . The policy plan proposed by Cato Institute regarding social security for retirees is convincing and seems to offer light in the long-run. The best way to keep the social security solvent is through raising taxes, cutting benefits of getting a higher rate return through private capital investment (Cato Institute, 2020). Similarly, Domhoff (2013) asserts that even the corporate community agrees that private enterprise is the best way to run an economic system and share opinion to help in the growth of a government. The opinion-shaping process in America is limited by elites' inability to support their views on economic and social issues.
References
AARP® Official Site - Join & Explore the Benefits. (2020). Retrieved 16 September 2020, from https://www.aarp.org/
Amenta, E. (2014). How to analyze the influence of movements.
Cato Institute. (2020). Retrieved 15 September 2020, from https://www.cato.org/
Domhoff, G. (2013). Who rules America? (7th ed., pp. 1-130). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Edwards, C., & Tanner, M. (2013). Reforming Social Security Retirement. Retrieved 16 September 2020, from https://www.downsizinggovernment.org/ssa/social-security-retirement
Gwartney, J., Lawson, R., & Hall, J. (2017). Economic Freedom Dataset, publicado en Economic Freedom of the World: 2017 Annual Report.
Retirement and Social Security Benefit Resources. (2020). Retrieved 15 September 2020, from https://www.aarp.org/retirement/
Surgey, N., & Sloan, C. (2016). Revealed: AARP Is Funding ALEC - EXPOSEDbyCMD. Retrieved 16 September 2020, from https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2016/07/28/revealed-aarp-funding-alec/
Tanner, M. D. (Ed.). (2004). Social security and its discontents: Perspectives on choice . Cato Institute.
Yeatman, W. (2020). Trump's Ad Hoc Administrative State. Retrieved 15 September 2020, from https://www.cato.org/publications/legal-policy-bulletin/trumps-ad-hoc-administrative-state
