Self-rated economic status is a robust indicator of financial capacity in older age and can be used by practitioners to gain meaningful information. However, practitioners should keep in mind that the oldest-old may underestimate financial difficulties.

This study sought to identify the principal factors that predict forgone health care due to cost among European and Israeli older adults. The analysis applied the Andersen–Newman model of health service utilization to data from the first wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (n = 28,849). Relinquished health care was regressed on the predisposing characteristics, need factors and economic access attributes of the respondents, in general, and in each of 12 countries, in particular. The results showed that forgone health care due to cost occurs among a substantial minority of older adults. Moreover, relinquished care is associated with younger old age, greater health needs and perceived economic inadequacy. Although statistically significant in certain cases, country of residence does not constitute a robust predictor of health care relinquishment. Social policy should address the antecedents of forgone health care in order to more effectively meet the health needs of the older population.

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This is a pre-pub draft (complete with typos etc.) of an article forthcoming in The China Journal, 67 (Jan), 2012. Comments to Jonlsullivan@gmail.com Elections have constituted important symbolic events throughout the course of democratization and continue to be one of the most extensively analysed features of Taiwan's political landscape. 1 Contemporary elections are fiercely contested and often dramatic events, with high levels of citizen engagement. 2 Analyses of party and candidate behaviour during campaigns have also suggested that "Taiwan's campaign culture thrives on negativity." 3 Indeed, seldom does a campaign pass without allegations of dirty tricks, petty squabbling, and the peddling of hearsay and worse. 4 Such observations have been invoked by researchers concerned by the implications of bitter political competition and unseemly behaviour on popular attitudes towards the democratic process, and on the quality of Taiwan's of democracy. 5 Observers of Taiwanese elections have interpreted negativity as an indication of deficits in Taiwan's political culture and the quality of Taiwanese politicians. Popular commentators, frequently looking through partisan lenses, propagate unhelpful stereotypes about the major parties to explain the behaviour of their candidates. In short, academic and popular observers are concerned that campaign behaviour reflects particular shortcomings in Taiwanese political culture and exacerbates weaknesses in the democratic system. These are 1 Taiwan is used throughout as shorthand for the Republic of China or the Taiwan area.

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