- Mar 11, 2015
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There’s a long history of some political voices accusing Black women of having children primarily for welfare benefits, often using this stereotype to justify restricting assistance. Now, with the proposed “baby bonus” policy from the Trump administration to encourage higher birth rates, the government is being asked to incentivize childbirth for the broader population.
It’s interesting to see how public attitudes toward government support for families can shift depending on which groups are perceived to benefit. Policies that were once stigmatized as “handouts” are now reframed as necessary incentives, reflecting deeper anxieties about changing demographics in America.
The White House is emerging as a powerful ally of the burgeoning movement of people who want women to have more children, but there's little emphasis on the unique level of danger that birth poses in the U.S.
Why it matters: The U.S. population is aging, presenting complex economic and health care challenges that "pro-natalists" argue should be addressed through raising fertility rates. At the same time, the country is facing an ongoing maternal mortality crisis and a politically fraught debate over women's reproductive health that's had widespread ripple effects.
It’s interesting to see how public attitudes toward government support for families can shift depending on which groups are perceived to benefit. Policies that were once stigmatized as “handouts” are now reframed as necessary incentives, reflecting deeper anxieties about changing demographics in America.
The push for women to have more children has a powerful ally: Trump
The White House is emerging as a powerful ally of the burgeoning movement of people who want women to have more children, but there's little emphasis on the unique level of danger that birth poses in the U.S.
Why it matters: The U.S. population is aging, presenting complex economic and health care challenges that "pro-natalists" argue should be addressed through raising fertility rates. At the same time, the country is facing an ongoing maternal mortality crisis and a politically fraught debate over women's reproductive health that's had widespread ripple effects.
- The pro-natalist movement is splintered into factions with different views, including some with restrictive definitions of what constitutes a family. There's also infighting over exactly how women should be reproducing — with debate around IVF and genetic screening.
- Some of its most controversial adherents hold racist views that encouraging white people to have more babies could help maintain the race's stability.
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