NewsPronto

 
Men's Weekly

.

USA Conversation

The Conversation USA

The Conversation USA

The problem with pronatalism: Pushing baby booms to boost economic growth amounts to a Ponzi scheme

  • Written by Emily Klancher Merchant, Assistant Professor of Science and Technology Studies, University of California, Davis
imageJapan is pushing for more pedestrians.AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko

In the face of shrinking populations, many of the world’s major economies are trying to engineer higher birth rates.

Policymakers from South Korea, Japan and Italy, for example, have all adopted so-called “pronatalist” measures in the belief that doing so will defuse a...

Read more: The problem with pronatalism: Pushing baby booms to boost economic growth amounts to a Ponzi scheme

More Articles ...

  1. Despite Donald Trump’s claims, his gag order holds up against the Constitution
  2. How San Francisco’s Democratic political machine led to Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign
  3. The real ‘Big Bang’ of country music: How Vernon Dalhart’s 1924 breakthrough recordings launched a genre
  4. Infectious diseases spike when kids return to school − here’s what you can do about it
  5. Dealing with election anxiety? A psychiatrist explains how to channel your fears and break out of tribal thinking
  6. This anthropology course looks at building design from the standpoint of different species
  7. Paris Games herald a new anti-corruption era, but carrying the torch may pose an Olympic challenge for the US
  8. How do breakdancers avoid breaking their necks?
  9. Decades on, Delbert Africa’s surrender still provides powerful image of US racism and Black victimhood
  10. From Michael Brown to Sonya Massey, a decade of police antiblack violence causes grief, worry and coping for Black parents
  11. Good flooding? Scientists use rice cultivation to preserve soil in Florida’s Everglades Agricultural Area
  12. From a pig as political candidate to a breakout speech for Obama − Democratic National Convention often leaves its mark on history
  13. Members of Congress undermine the country – and their own legitimacy – with antidemocratic rhetoric
  14. How charities with thrift shops can get better stuff from their donors instead of junk
  15. Islamic State’s genocide was not limited to killing and enslaving Yazidis, Christians and other communities − it also erased their heritage
  16. How to get your kids ready to go back to school without stress − 5 tips from an experienced school counselor
  17. Qatari mediation was already producing diminishing returns – assassination of Hamas negotiator further erodes Gulf state’s role
  18. White men who have been mistreated at work are more likely to notice and report harassment − new research
  19. Remembering the longest journey to Auschwitz – the deportation of Rhodes’ Jews decimated a small but vibrant community with centuries of Mediterranean history
  20. Imane Khelif controversy at Paris Olympics shows how sex testing in women’s sports puts regulators in an impossible bind
  21. Imane Khelif’s gold medal run shows how sex testing in women’s sports puts regulators in an impossible bind
  22. Shortage of Black doctors is rooted in racist history − a $600M gift will help historically Black medical schools address the gap
  23. For Black Americans, higher police pay doesn’t always mean fewer violent confrontations as it does for other racial groups
  24. Ancient grains of dust from space can be found on Earth − and provide clues about the life cycle of stars
  25. Heat risk isn’t just about the highs: Large daily temperature swings can harm human health – maps show who is affected most
  26. Tropical Storm Debby stalls along the Carolinas, bringing days of heavy rain and flooding – a climate scientist explains why
  27. Tropical Storm Debby’s stalling brought days of heavy rain and flooding – a climate scientist explains what happened
  28. Multiple goals, multiple solutions, plenty of second-guessing and revising − here’s how science really works
  29. AI helps lighten the load on the electric grid – without skimping on people’s energy use
  30. A common parasite could one day deliver drugs to the brain − how scientists are turning ‘Toxoplasma gondii’ from foe into friend
  31. Bangladesh’s protests explained: What led to PM’s ouster and the challenges that lie ahead
  32. Walz pick turns focus on what a VP brings to White House – 3 essential reads
  33. Chang'e 6 brought rocks from the far side of the Moon back to Earth − a planetary scientist explains what this sample could hold
  34. Readers trust journalists less when they debunk rather than confirm claims
  35. Assassination is always unlawful − regardless of who is killed and on whose orders
  36. Brain implants to restore sight, like Neuralink’s Blindsight, face a fundamental problem − more pixels don’t ensure better vision
  37. Kamala Harris’ identity as a biracial woman is either a strength or a weakness, depending on whom you ask
  38. Grassroots efforts to increase voting are gaining momentum in these states, even as other states make voting harder
  39. Attention, jittery investors: Stop panicking … this is what a soft landing should look like
  40. Ancient poppy seeds and willow wood offer clues to the Greenland ice sheet’s last meltdown and a glimpse into a warmer future
  41. Love for cats lures students into this course, which uses feline research to teach science
  42. Stuck bridges, buckling roads − extreme heat is wreaking havoc on America’s aging infrastructure
  43. How can there be ice on the Moon?
  44. Why are migraines worse during your period? Research in mice points to a hormone called progesterone, offering a new treatment target
  45. How people with disabilities got game − the surprisingly long history of access to arcade and video sports
  46. Racism and discrimination lead to faster aging through brain network changes, new study finds
  47. Menstrual cycle is a vital sign and important indicator of overall health − 2 reproductive health experts explain
  48. Arab Druze community in mourning after tragic rocket strike on Golan Heights soccer field − highlighting challenges for Druze within Israel and the region
  49. In ‘bamboo diplomacy,’ late Vietnam leader Nguyen Phu Trong left a path for smaller nations to navigate great-power rivalries
  50. Democratic Party’s choice of Harris was undemocratic − and the latest evidence of party leaders distrusting party voters