Contents
Prologue
Part I. Social Security and the Reagan Revolution (1981-83)
1. A New Deal
2. "A Despicable Thing"
3. The "Third Rail" of American Politics
4. "Watching for the Commission"
5. The Compromise of 1983
Part II. The Movement against Social Security is Born (1983-94)
6. Making the Case
7. "Generational Equity"
8. The War against the Geezers
9. The Anti-Deficit Obsession
10. The Struggle for Austerity
11. Bob Kerrey Gets His Pulpit
12. Tax Cuts and Magic Bullets
Part III. Selling Privatization (1994-96)
13. "Just About Unanimous"
14. Privatization Repackaged
15. Wall Street Enlists
16. "What's In it for Me?"
17. Scary Numbers
18. The "Intergenerational Chain Letter"
19. Modest Proposals
20. Chile's Pension Revolution
Part IV. Mating Dance (1996-99)
21. The Pension Revolution Comes Home
22. "Save Social Security First"
23. The Debate Hits the Road
24. Democratic Backlash
25. "So Surreal You Wouldn't Believe It"
26. The Unbridgeble Gulf
27. Washington Politics and Public Opinion
Part V. The Social Security Electron (1999-2000)
28. The Politics of Prosperity
29. Bush vs. Gore
30. The Road to Florida
Part VI. The Ownership Society (2001-05)
31. The Vanishing Surplus
32. A Zero-to-One Shot
33. The Bush Commission Punts
34. Guns and Butter
35. Reaching for a Mandate
36. Karl Rove's Dream
37. Bush Rolls the Dice
38. "We Need Public Pressure"
39. Propaganda and Politicization
40. A Tipping Point
41. The Republican Debate
Part VII. Back to Austerity (2006-11)
42. "No One Is Talking Anymore About a 'Permanent Republican Majority"
43. The Rebirth of the Pain Caucus
44. Obama vs. McCain
45. Obama Stumbles
46. The Deficit Commission
47. The Return to Austerity
48. The Retirement Crisis
Epilogue
Bibliographic Note
Notes
Index