Among the governments most interesting reports is one that estimates what parents spend on theirchildren. Not surprisingly, the costs are steep. For a middle-class, hnsband-and-wife family (averagepretax income in 2009: $76,250), spending per child is about $12,000 a year. With inflation the familys spending on a child will total $ 286,050 by age 17.
The dry statistics ought to inform the ongoing deficit debate, because a budget is not just a catalog ofprograms and taxes. It reflects a societys priorities and values. Our society does not-- despite rhetoric(说辞) to the contrary--put much value on raising children. Present bridget policies tax parents heavily tosupport the elderly. Meanwhile, tax breaks for children are modest. If deficit reduction aggravates thesebiases, more Americans may choose not to have children or to have fewer children. Down that path lieseconomic decline.
Societies that cannot replace their populations discourage investment and innovation. They havestagnant (萧条的) or shrinking markets for goods and services. With older populations, they resistchange. To stabilize its population--discounting immigration--women must have an average of twochildren. Thats a fertility rate of 2.0. Many countries with struggling economies are well below that.
Though having a child is a deeply personal decision, its shaped by culture, religion, economics, andgovernment policy. No one has a good answer as to why fertility varies among countries, sayssociologist Andrew Cherlin of The Johns Hopkins University. Eroding religious belief in Europe may partlyexplain lowered birthrates. In Japan young women may be rebelling against their mothers isolated lives ofchild rearing. General optimism and pessimism count. Hopefulness fueled Americas baby boom. After theSoviet Unions collapse, says Cherlin, anxiety for the future depressed birthrates in Russia and EasternEurope.
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