Treatment of women in the U.S. Social Security system, 1970-88

This article, a reprint of a paper presented in 1988 to the International Social Security Association, traces the debate from 1970 through 1988 over treatment of women in the Social Security system. It traces issues relating to working women, couples with two earners, homemakers, widows, and divorced women. It describes the debate that led to widespread support for the concept of earnings sharing. It then addresses the paradox that despite continued widespread support for earnings sharing, despite continuation of the factors underlying its proposal, by 1988 no comprehensive legislation related to the treatment of women under Social Security had been enacted nor was being generally contemplated. This is still true in 1993. The article argues that apparently insoluble, inherent conflicts among the objectives underlying earnings sharing ultimately doomed its enactment. Cost considerations, the realization of unintended side effects, and issues relating to transition to a very different Social Security system also helped remove earnings sharing from the legislative agenda. The article also describes the role policy analysis played in the debate over this proposed reform.