A “U.S. POPULATION POLICY” – LET’S TALK

• John R. Bermingham
• August 1, 1997
• Forum Papers
• Forum Paper
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A “U.S. POPULATION POLICY” – LET’S TALK
An NPG Forum Paper
by John R. Bermingham
August 1997

Proposals relating to a “U.S. population policy” are circulated from time to time and several have been circulated in 1997. All seem to have been prepared by persons who — like myself — wish the U.S. population were smaller than it now is and who would very much like to see our growth slowed, stopped, and then reversed.

None of the proposals contain specifics on how a national population policy might achieve such a goal, and this vagueness is bothersome even though I am sympathetic to the goal. The time has come to ask questions.

I am prompted to take this approach by a recent newspaper column praising Fred Friendly’s instruction to participants in his PBS discussion series — a series that brought together Supreme Court Justices, Senators, Columnists, nationally known law enforcement officials, and other prominent Americans. His instruction was this: “Our job is not to make up anyone’s mind, but to open minds — to make the agony of decision making so intense that you can only escape by thinking.”

So, what follows is a collection of questions and for many of them — probably most — I do not claim to have answers. Instead, this is a plea for help with my own agonizing.

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