You're watching...
“What to Expect When No One’s Expecting” author Jonathan Last on the economic impact of the U.S. fertility rate.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
My next guest says of the United States wants to continue to lead the world and we must have.
Babies more babies a lot more -- Joining me now to talk about our demographic decline.
And the potential consequences on both politics and our economy.
Jonathan last -- senior writer for the weekly standard.
Author of this brand new book what to expect when no one's expecting.
America's coming demographic.
Disaster.
Great to have you with us Jonathan and congratulations on this terrific -- very important -- But let's start with I thought we were doing well I mean I I hear lots of discussion -- -- amongst industrialized nations the United States is the youngest it's doing super.
And now you -- -- to the reality.
Well in the in the land of the blind the one eyed man is king right we are doing pretty well.
Among the cohort of industrialized nations.
But we're still below the facility level.
-- replaced -- and the truth is are real problems have been masked by our immigration we've had thirty million immigrants from the last thirty years.
-- those people out of our demographic profile and we look exactly like Europe.
Exactly like Europe.
We've also according to the most recent numbers that I look back.
It's is that the Guttmacher Institute yes follows abortions and we're talking about more than fifty million abortion abortions in this country in the course of the past half century.
-- this is stunning stuff.
Within its bitumen he didn't concert thought -- don't really realize.
It's only four million births a year America so 54 million abortions.
In respect to map on television but that's nothing more than decades worth -- we senator quite all right.
Sometimes with -- -- I think with map that is required for we -- to have but.
Nonetheless when you talk about four million -- let's import a lot of folks but this is a very big country.
That is a country and the Rand the Rand Corp.
is -- honest with -- years ago when they looked at they.
Affect on the fertility rate of abortion.
They -- reasonably small effect on -- the larger effect on Hispanics and he really think and if into effect on the fertility rate like Americans.
Points.
Because black Americans would have you know take recourse to abortion more frequently.
As a percentage of the population and the other racial groups this type of you know disparate impact that with must worry about -- -- is this really quite quite awful.
Well I think that -- it's extraordinary that we have so little discussion of these realities.
In our national media.
Amongst our.
Our political leaders it was -- even discussed was mentioned the campaign trail word from an -- presidential election.
That's stunning stop.
And -- we look at through the various constantly impact.
We've got in most of the families and push through we're there were fortunate enough to have to.
Parents available for that one -- two children.
In that home.
You're you're seeing people delay.
-- they are in some cases delaying or not getting married were watching marriage rates decline.
What are we to do here.
-- -- what's what's funny is that over Europe and in Asia they're more of -- with demographics even and I am.
And demographics has really sort of you know that topic -- public policy over the right.
And it's coming dots you know the question is what we turn it is too late.
And I hope not the -- for the begins this -- discussion we need to do is make family life easier for the people who still want to have.
Was so you mean.
We're we're sort of we're saying that we should do -- -- encouraged people to get parent should we be encouraging people to have more children.
How do we make it easier to create a -- family.
-- in the a and environment which frankly in this -- become to me at least extraordinarily.
Unfriendly to young -- Well the good news is that there's a big gap between ideal fertility that the number of children people say they want to have just 2.5.
And that's been remarkably constant for report -- actual fertility which is as you showed one point nine.
-- there's some hope in what we need to do is sort of you know think about policy that might not be explicitly problem capitalists like for instance building more highways.
Not people into the cliches are true did you just say building more high building more highways and -- -- -- like your best.
Other people move to suffer because you know they want to be close.
-- concentrations of jobs suburban life makes it easier to raise a family -- -- increase your access to jobs also -- here.
-- -- -- college holds a huge problem the real cost of in college.
I think he spent 1000%.
Over the last for 35 years here.
-- -- have to -- at a sector releasing this has broken need to performance.
But because of how could pretend it's great.
On this broadcast we are talking about the fact that one of the biggest bubbles is education.
And one of the most poorly run inefficient.
Institutions in the country is unfortunately higher education.
John the last thanks for being here the -- I recommend it highly it is what to expect when no one expects the it's available online at bookstores everywhere right now coming up to.
