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October 24, 2024 
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Births have been steadily declining for decades in America, and that has people worried about what a future with fewer children might look like. This election has only amplified that, with heated debates over which party is more "pro-family" and attacks on "childless cat ladies."
I don't have children and am still deciding whether or not I want to have them. So I was curious what other interpretations of this trend were missing from the conversation, and whether my choice could really impair the long-term well-being of society — as some conservatives suggest.
Outside of the United States, many wealthier countries in Europe and Asia are also confronting the reality of low birthrates. But none of their governments have yet identified a clear-cut path to increased fertility — even the Scandinavian countries are struggling, despite their lauded family-friendly policies. And in the absence of a solution, a broader debate has emerged over the best way forward. Over the past month, "The Opinions" has offered a wide spectrum of arguments on what lies at the root of this problem and how worried we should be.
And in the most recent installment of this series, the Opinion writer Jessica Grose makes a provocative case for why a future below the replacement rate may not be such a bad thing after all. One line particularly stood out to me:
"There's so many ways we can adapt to populations we have, rather than bemoan what we don't have."
Not everyone will agree with her, though, and that's why we wanted to hear other opinions on the political reckonings over how each party should approach falling fertility. To that end, we've heard from the philosopher Anastasia Berg on why progressives have a stake in this issue, too, and from the Times columnist David French on why he's skeptical of the direction that the right is going.
Listen to the podcast:
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The Opinions More Babies Aren't the Only Solution to Falling BirthratesJessica Grose on the good news behind the numbers.  | 7 MIN LISTEN |
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