Pension reform is one of the most difficult and politically charged areas of social policy. This is true not only in the United States, where social security has been called the "third rail of American politics" – touch it and you die –, but also in many European countries. Changing the rules of retirement, such as pension ages and benefit levels, is unpopular and a tough sell for governments; raising pensions and allowing people to stop working earlier, by contrast, is a good way to make friends and builds support among an ageing electorate.