a Department of Gerontology and Gerontology Institute , John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy & Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston , Boston , Massachusetts , USA.
b Department of Health Services , Policy & Practice and Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research, School of Public Health, Brown University , Providence , Rhode Island , USA.
J Aging Soc Policy. 2018 May-Jun;30(3-4):193-208. doi: 10.1080/08959420.2018.1481314.
The surprise election of President Donald J. Trump to the presidency of the United States marks a singular turning point in the American republic-not only because of his idiosyncratic approach to the office, but also because the Republican Party now holds the presidency and both houses of Congress, presenting a historic opportunity for change. The role of older Americans has been critical in both shaping and reacting to this political moment. Their political orientations and behaviors have shaped it through their electoral support for Republican candidates, but they also stand as highly invested stakeholders in the policy decisions made by the very officials they elected and as beneficiaries of the programs that Republicans have targeted. This article draws on the content of this issue to explore the ways in which Trump administration policies are likely to significantly undermine the social safety net for near-elderly and older Americans with respect to long-term care, housing, health care, and retirement. It also draws on issue content to speculate on the ways that these policy changes might shape politics and political behavior. We conclude that the response of older voters in the 2018 midterm elections to efforts by the Trump administration and its Republican allies in Congress to draw back on the federal government's commitment to programs and policies affecting them will shape the direction of aging policy and politics in the years to come.
唐纳德·J·特朗普（Donald J. Trump）出人意料地当选为美国总统，标志着美国共和政体出现了一个独特的转折点——不仅因为他对该职位的独特处理方式，还因为共和党现在同时掌控了总统职位和国会两院，这为变革提供了一个历史性的机会。老年美国人的角色在塑造和应对这一政治时刻方面发挥了关键作用。他们的政治取向和行为通过对共和党候选人的选举支持来塑造这一时刻，但他们作为选举官员做出的政策决策的高度投入的利益相关者，以及共和党针对的计划的受益者，也处于非常重要的地位。本文借鉴本期内容探讨了特朗普政府的政策可能如何在长期护理、住房、医疗保健和退休等方面严重破坏即将步入老年和老年美国人的社会安全网。它还借鉴了本期内容来推测这些政策变化可能会如何塑造政治和政治行为。我们的结论是，老年选民在 2018 年中期选举中对特朗普政府及其共和党盟友在国会中撤回影响他们的联邦政府对计划和政策的承诺的反应，将塑造未来几年老龄化政策和政治的方向。
