Question

Agenda setting consists of decisions about what issues will be addressed through government policy (the legislative process for our purposes here). Let it be noted that agenda setting is the "confluence of problems, possible solutions, and political circumstances".  Either from your own experience or from a quick internet search, draft an initial post that identifies:

a) A problem you feel should be addressed by government policymaking.

b) A possible solution that you feel could address the problem by the making of or changing of policy.

c) The political circumstances surrounding your problem and solution that make it either likely or unlikely that lawmakers would put it on the governments policy agenda.

Answer 1

a) Population aging is a growing problem throughout the world and it has more intense exposure in the country like India where, every year the share of aged to total population is growing along with a sharp growth of old age poverty too. Unlike developed countries, Indian elderly do not have adequate social security and their old-age expenses are mostly financed by the young members of their family. Indian households used to be inter-generational, where, the elderly care was embedded on the responsibility of the young generation. However, due to rapid rupture in the traditional family system and unprecedented migration of young generation, elders are now in a financially vulnerable situation. Therefore, there is a policy requirement to address the economic vulnerability of the aged population.

b) The required policy can be designed to provide incentives to the working people to take care of any elderly person, including their parents. For example, tax relief on income. In this policy, an earning member will be exempted from tax by the amount he/she has spent on any old person in the last financial year.

c) The political parties are more focused to the development of youth by creating job, health of the child and reproductive aged women etc. Although these policies are important for the present economic need but policies for financial security of aged is somewhat ignored. If the new tax policy, as mentioned above, is introduced, the young people, who are working may be more focused and sensitive to the aged people. The society will be benefited for both the sides: for working young as they can avoid tax and for elders as they receive greater economic support from the young generation.