Question

Think about how policies and social trends might affect population and sustainability, specifically referencing fertility, mortality, immigration and technology. How do you think the following might effect population and sustainability, and why?

a. Federal Funding for Planned Parenthood is withdrawn.

b. The average age of marriage increases.

c. Women have more economic opportunities.

d. The border is closed to illegal immigration.

e. The border is open.

Answer 1

a. Federal Funding for Planned Parenthood is withdrawn.

Impact on population: Demographic development may show unpleasant trends. Average family size may grow larger causing the adverse impact on several economic resources.

Impact on stability: Increase in population may pressurize the natural, social and economic resources; resulting into greater instability and unpredictability on economic well-being parameters.

b. The average age of marriage increases.

Impact on population: Measures taken to contain population increase will be more effective. Fertile years of men and women will reduce.

Impact on stability: Average years spent on higher and college education will increase. Human capital will be richer. Average productivity (GDP contribution) of men and women will increase and economy will become more stable.

c. Women have more economic opportunities.

Impact on population: Population increase will be contained because studies prove that women engaged in economic activities like taking a job or doing business, like to have smaller families.

Impact on stability: It will bring economic prosperity to the nation when half of the population will engage itself into production (GDP increasing) activities.

d. The border is closed to illegal immigration.

Impact on population: Population increase will be contained because no longer the illegal immigrants will be able to intrude and settle at our land.

Impact on stability: With population increase checked, per capita income will be more predictable. The said move will only bring more stability to our economy.

e. The border is open.

Impact on population: Census predictability will be threatened. Why? Because we will never be able to accurately judge the number of people leaving our country or entering into it.

Impact on stability: When unsure of how many people an economic system has to serve, the economic stability will be adversely affected. It's so because plan made in year 1 may not work in year 2 due to the unpredictable and uncontained flow of people flowing in and out of our country.