美國OASDI計畫之內涵與發展：1935-2015年

Abstract

美國的老年、遺屬與殘障保險計畫（OASDI）是由聯邦政府主導的一項重要的社會制 度，其覆蓋人群之廣泛，與社會經濟動向聯結之密切，以及其所具有的濃厚的政治性決定了OASDI的每一次制度調整或改革都備受關注。 本研究在對OASDI的發展歷程進行階段劃分的基礎上，考察了各時期制度的給付水準、費率和退休年齡三個重要變數的變化趨勢和主要特徵，并就各時期制度改革背後的社會經濟和政治原因一一進行探究，以期了解OASDI在整個歷史脈絡中的內涵與發展。主要研究結果如下： 一、總體而言，OASDI當前的規模與制度架構是在幾十年的發展與變革中形成。回顧其從成立之初發展至今的整個歷史脈絡，每一次重要修法與變革都是當時的社會經濟背景與政治因素綜合作用的結果。 二、OASDI改革與否首先由其所處的社會經濟環境所決定。維持財務穩定是OASDI計畫運作的基本目標，也是決定OASDI改革的風向標，社會經濟形勢的變化透過影響計畫財務的發展來決定改革是否發生及改革方向。 三、宏觀的社會經濟環境決定了特定時期制度變革之需求，但具體改革方案的選擇以及制度的最終走向則是由政治因素所決定的。關鍵人物之理念、黨派競爭以及選舉等因素直接決定了OASDI之給付、費率與退休年齡的走向及變動幅度。

The old age, survivors, and disability insurance (OASDI) is an important social system dominated by the U.S. federal government, which covers a wide range of people, is closely linked to socio-economic trends, and has a strong political nature. All of these features make OASDI a popular system that any adjustment or reform is of concern. We divide the history of OASDI into four periods. Based on the phase division, this study examines the changing trends of the three important variables of the system in each phase, the level of payment, the payroll tax rate and the retirement age, and analyzes the socio- political reasons behind the trends in order to understand the connotation and development of OASDI in the entire historical context. The main findings are as follows: First, in general, current scale and structure of OASDI is formed in the decades of development and revision. Recalling the whole history of the OASDI from the beginning to the present, every important revision are the result of the combination of the socioeconomic change and political factors at that time. Second, OASDI reform is first decided by the transition of the social and economic environment. To maintain financial stability is the basic objective of the OASDI program, also it is the vane of OASDI reform. The change in the socio-economic situation determines the necessity and the direction of the reform by influencing the OASDI’s financial status. Third, the macro socio-economic environment determines if there is the needs to reform in a particular period, but the specific reform options and the final trend of the system is determined by the political factors. The ideas of key figures, party competition and elections, etc, directly determine the trends and rangeability of the OASDI payment, rates and retirement age.