Rethinking Social Insurance

Martin Feldstein

NBER Working Paper No. 11250
Issued in April 2005
NBER Program(s):Economic Fluctuations and Growth, Public Economics

This paper begins by discussing the nature of and rationale for social insurance programs. I then consider three political principles and four economic principles that could guide the design and reform of social insurance programs. These ideas are then applied to unemployment insurance, Social Security pensions, health insurance and Medicare. A common theme is the advantage of incorporating investment based personal accounts in each of these programs.

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Document Object Identifier (DOI): 10.3386/w11250

Published: Feldstein, Martin. "Rethinking Social Insurance," American Economic Review, 2005, v95(1,Mar), 1-24. citation courtesy of

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