Early Retirement and Social Security: A Long Term Perspective

We provide a long term perspective on the individual retirement behavior and on the future of retirement. In a Markovian political economic theoretical framework, in which incentives to retire early are embedded, we derive a political equilibrium with positive social security contribution rates and early retirement. While aging has opposite economic and political effects on social security contributions, it may lead to postponing retirement--by reducing the generosity of pension benefits-- unless the political effect leads to a large increase in contribution and hence higher benefits. Economic slowdowns, captured by a reduction in wage income in youth, will also induce workers to postpone retirement and to vote for less social security