Meredith Minkler

In the following viewpoint, Meredith Minkler contends that the elderly are wrongly blamed for problems in the American economy. She asserts that while programs such as Social Security and Medicare should be reformed, those programs are not causing poverty for younger generations. Instead, Minkler argues, economic problems are largely the result of corporate downsizing and government policies that benefit the wealthy at the expense of the middle and lower classes. Minkler is a professor of community health education and health and social behavior at the University of California at Berkeley School of Public Health.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Minkler, what percentage of its income does a family that earns under $38,000 per year pay in Social Security taxes?
2. How much of the wealth in the United States is...