A diverse coalition is concerned with our demographic decline, but we need to be careful not to choose solutions that create worse problems.
Bu Anna Reynolds November 26, 2024 at Crisis Magazine
There is a surprising coalition dancing in the streets following the reelection of Donald Trump. We cannot say that the group of political actors involved with Trump’s victory are “conservative” generally. The Republican Party has come to include such a wide range of diverse worldviews, many of which bear no resemblance to a conservative social outlook and lack sound moral philosophy. If this is conservatism, it is a new brand.
A common thread developing between previously disparate political groups is concern with demographic decline. As of 2022, the birth rate in the United States is 1.66, well below the 2.1 needed for replacement. This is concerning for many reasons. One, which has brought together an interesting assortment of tech millionaires and economists, is that the basis for our economy is growth. As the population contracts, economic systems as we know them become untenable and international tensions will likely escalate as countries compete for immigration.
The concern is not only economic, however. A nation that is aging has a different character. The populace becomes more risk averse and less likely to produce technological advancement. As I heard from someone who visited South Korea—where the birth rate has dropped to .78 per woman—a place with few children can feel sterile; the streets are clean and quiet but lifeless.