• Login
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   Home
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

    All of TUScholarShareCommunitiesDateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsGenresThis CollectionDateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsGenres

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Help

    AboutPeoplePoliciesHelp for DepositorsData DepositFAQs

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Public Pensions: Retrenchment or Investment? Evidence from the States

    • CSV
    • RefMan
    • EndNote
    • BibTex
    • RefWorks
    Thumbnail
    Name:
    TETDEDXAmbergBlyskal-temple-02 ...
    Size:
    2.611Mb
    Format:
    PDF
    Download
    Genre
    Thesis/Dissertation
    Date
    2018
    Author
    Amberg-Blyskal, Patricia
    Advisor
    Kolodny, Robin, 1964-
    Committee member
    Laurence, Janice H.
    Mucciaroni, Gary
    Vander Wielen, Ryan J.
    Department
    Political Science
    Subject
    Political Science
    Public Administration
    Public Policy
    Annual Required Contributions
    Funded Ratios
    Institutions
    Interest Groups
    Pensions
    State
    Permanent link to this record
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12613/2552
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    DOI
    http://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/2534
    Abstract
    The “Great Recession” of 2008 decimated many facets of the U.S. economy in the short-term but the long-term effect of the recession on the retirement security of millions of Americans is a story in progress. This study investigates the impact of the 2008 recession on the public pensions of state and local government employees. Prior to the recession, the 19 million current state and local government employees enjoyed the prospect of a retirement built on the tradition FDR’s three “legs”: a private pension from their employer, personal savings, and Social Security. Although the “first leg” of retirement, the private pension, disappeared in the late 20th century for the majority of American workers, state and local public sector employees were the exception-with about 90% eligible for a defined benefit pension at the beginning of the 21st century (GAO 2008). The 2008 recession, effected all U.S. states, however the response to reduced investment earnings for state-administered public pensions varied. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) noted in one year, 44 states enacted 269 pension bills (NCSL 2013). The changes enacted in state legislation, all involved a reduction in benefits. The retrenchment actions ranged from suspended cost-of-living allowance (COLA) increases and increased employee contributions to the loss of the defined pension benefit. Several states, after the 2008 recession, terminated the defined pension benefit for future employees, one state (Rhode Island) changed to a hybrid plan for current employees. Scholars seeking to understand retrenchment of benefits argue the lack of a “public outcry” permit elected officials to act without fear of a backlash (Pierson 1994). Conversely, conditions that prevent political opponents to transfer costs to a losing coalition and instead compromise on a long-term sharing of costs, is considered policy investment (Jacobs 2011). This study seeks to use retrenchment and investment theories to explain the public pension actions U.S. states took following the 2008 recession. The quantitative analysis confirms several expectations of retrenchment theory, such as the importance of interest groups, represented by the number of public sector employees in a state and the level of unionization within a state’s public sector. Investment theory predictions are not confirmed in the quantitative analysis, however a case study analysis of Delaware does find conditions of political compromise resulting in long-term stability for the pension plans. The quantitative analysis expected to find a strong “mirror” relationship between a pension plan’s funded ratio (assets to liabilities) and the state’s annual required contribution (ARC). The relationship between the two key measures, while positive and significant, is small. The unexpected finding led to a focus on ARC payments and the political conditions surrounding the decision to fund or not fund a state’s annual contribution. Delaware and Oklahoma are examples of states with adequate ARC payments yet contradictory public pension actions. Rhode Island and New Jersey are states with inadequate ARC payments, yet also contradictory public pension actions. Understanding the conditions that led to a state’s decision to pay or not pay the ARC also uncovers a host of actions states take to manipulate their required contributions. Regardless of similar institutions and budget processes across the 50 states, not every political institution gets the same results. Politics and state norms will change the outcome.
    ADA compliance
    For Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation, including help with reading this content, please contact scholarshare@temple.edu
    Collections
    Theses and Dissertations

    entitlement

     
    DSpace software (copyright © 2002 - 2023)  DuraSpace
    Temple University Libraries | 1900 N. 13th Street | Philadelphia, PA 19122
    (215) 204-8212 | scholarshare@temple.edu
    Open Repository is a service operated by 
    Atmire NV
     

    Export search results

    The export option will allow you to export the current search results of the entered query to a file. Different formats are available for download. To export the items, click on the button corresponding with the preferred download format.

    By default, clicking on the export buttons will result in a download of the allowed maximum amount of items.

    To select a subset of the search results, click "Selective Export" button and make a selection of the items you want to export. The amount of items that can be exported at once is similarly restricted as the full export.

    After making a selection, click one of the export format buttons. The amount of items that will be exported is indicated in the bubble next to export format.