When the government makes it harder for young adults to succeed and undermines their confidence in the future, it needs to get out of their way.
When the government makes it harder for young adults to succeed and undermines their confidence in the future, it needs to get out of their way.
A mericans are having fewer children than ever before, and the fallout could impact every fabric of our society. The social science supporting this demographic cliff is staggering. In 2023, the total fertility rate fell to 1.62 births per woman, a 2 percent decline from the previous year and the lowest rate recorded since the government began tracking it in the 1930s. In addition, U.S. adults under age 50 without children who say they are “unlikely to ever have kids” rose ten percentage points over the past five years, according to a recent report from Pew Research.
Statistics on marriage show another rising trend. A recent survey by the Institute for Family Studies found that while 83 percent of today’s young adults report wanting to get married, 73 percent believe that marriage is too expensive, with the vast majority delaying marriage to get their finances in order first. Fewer marriages result in fewer babies. And fewer babies can trigger a range of societal, political, and cultural consequences.
As the president of a university, of course I am concerned for many reasons about the demographic cliff and the resulting reduction in the college-aged population, but I am most concerned with the shrinking optimism and confidence of future generations.
A recent article in the New York Times looked into why Americans are choosing not to have children. A demographer at the University of North Carolina posited that the decision to have children is the “ultimate vote of confidence” in the future and that “every policy is a family policy.” These statements ring true. While there are many factors that contribute to why someone chooses to start a family or not, the failure of lawmakers to control key market indicators, such as a difficult job market and inflation, including steep rises in the cost of housing, have made many pessimistic about the future.
Governmental intrusion, interference, and incompetence has created a colossal collapse in confidence among America’s future generations. And when the next generation believes that their future is in the hands of a failing government and its flawed policies, the unintended consequence becomes the actual deterrent to family formation. When the government makes it harder for young adults to set themselves up for success and undermines their confidence in the future, the government needs to get out of their way. When young adults believe they have lost the ability to carve out their own future and instead feel stuck and with no way to make a difference, they become apathetic and despondent.
The current season of public policy and politics, characterized by increased divisions, polarization, and uncertainty, contributes to this mentality. The increased divisions, polarization, and uncertainty in political systems has fostered a heightened sense of insecurity.
In addition, as the government continues to reach further into our lives, growing government overreach erodes our rights, deepens dependence, and makes the American dream seem increasingly out of reach. In contrast, a limited government provides for unlimited freedom for its people to attain, achieve, and accomplish their dreams.
During a press conference in 1986, Ronald Reagan famously remarked, “I think you all know that I’ve always felt the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’” Reagan is right; and the government’s poor policies have led to a colossal collapse in confidence among Americans of child-bearing age.
What is needed is more independence, freedom, and personal responsibility. We need to remind the younger generation of the American dream — that you can control your own destiny and create a better life for yourself and your family. Liberty, independence, critical thinking, personal responsibility, and Christlike human compassion and generosity are far superior to government reform, misguided policies, and anti-family agendas.
A bright future is still possible, but change is necessary. We need another “It’s morning again in America” moment, as depicted in Reagan’s famous reelection ad, in which he presents the results of his deregulatory “Reaganomics” and tax cuts as factors that enabled families to flourish. It’s time for the government to step back and step up policies that build families up instead of tearing them down. We need to give hope back to the younger generation so they will contribute to the greater good and feel optimistic about the future for their children.