As Western nations face aging populations, concerns over social policy and allocation of public resources emerge (see Preston 1984). In particular, questions about the potential for conflict and competition among different age groups arise. The generational equity framework and Esping-Andersen's (1990) typology of welfare states are two perspectives that can be integrated to study and understand social policy issues within the context of aging. This study synthesizes both of these frameworks and applies them to the analysis of social welfare issues cross-nationally. This study uses cross sectional data for the United States, Australia, Great Britain, the former West Germany, and Italy from the 1985, 1987, 1990, 1992, and 1996 surveys of the International Social Survey Program (ISSP). Individuals' attitudes toward governmental responsibility for welfare provision, public spending preferences, and group conflict perceptions are analyzed using logistic regression models. The findings provide support for both the generational equity theory and Esping-Andersen's typology. Individuals tend to view social policy issues in age-based ways. Further, welfare state context also influences social policy attitudes. Key findings and implications for future research are discussed
