Why Entitlement Reform Is So Hard

The U.S. electorate’s hostility toward serious entitlement reform has a long and consistent track record. Unyielding defense of the status quo has been a winning campaign strategy for decades, and serial efforts to push major changes to Social Security and Medicare onto the national agenda have all sputtered and failed. Both parties have internalized the lesson.

Lawmakers have two means to address the problem: Spend less—through reduced benefits for high earners, more efficient health care, or raising the age of eligibility—or increase revenue through tax hikes. If elected leaders will...