Low fertilty and the state

“Low fertility and the State: The efficacy of policy” by Peter McDonald

In this article, Peter McDonald:

o reviews the causes of low fertility rate in many developed countries
o how these countries, in different institution setting, tried to booster up the fertility
o What is the possible solution for low fertility rate?

The author contends that people do have desire to have family and children, however, the desire was unsatisfied at individual level, mainly due to the unintended consequence of economic and social development. It is not mainly because the people are more materialistic than before, but rather that people use controlled family planning as risk averse strategies.

The author analysed impacts especially in relation of family formation, of two social and economic changes: social liberalism and new capitalism. Both waves have enhanced individuals' aspiration in personal and economic well beings, while through the market deregulation and other economic reform, the cultural and welfare environments have diminished the capacity of couples to form and maintain families. The personal desire for family formation remains strong, however, many people do not achieve their family aspiration. As a risk aversion strategy, many have delay the first childbirth and less children in their family formation.

The author believes that states must be principle players in restoring the social balance just as they play key role in supporting other social and economic changers. The first step is to reestablish confidence among young people that they will be able to embark on family formation with tolerable levels of economic loss and acceptable impacts upon individual aspiration.

In Asia, at least three countries have instituted major policy programs to reverse fertility decline, namely Singapore, Japan and Korea, yet, policy has failed to have any great impact in these counties. The solution, according to author, lies in a third wave of social change, a compensatory wave in which the state and other institutions provide a new and substantial priority to the support of family especially the bearing and rearing of children.