With the steadily declining birth rate in the United States, there has been lots of debate on what the future of our country looks like and what should be done, if anything, to solve the problem. The declining birth rate will redefine many parts of American life like families, culture and government; but there is significant debate over whether or not this shift should be looked upon as a blessing or a national emergency.

The traditional American family 60 years ago consisted of the working father, stay-at-home mother and 2.5 children. But in today’s world due to the declining birth rate and and many other factors, the “traditional” American family is almost impossible to put into one category. The birth rate has been slowly declining since the 1980s and has been continuing to decrease for several different reasons with one of the biggest reasons being that women are waiting longer to have children. With secondary education becoming more and more common, women have been focusing on furthering their education and building a career rather than having children. Because women are going off to college first, some decide to focus on their career and not have children at all while others simply wait until a later age. Not only has the population been dipping because of the emphasis on secondary education and career building for women, but the intense lapse in teen pregnancy rates have also contributed to what is now seen by some demographers as a national emergency. Teen pregnancies in the United States have dropped 8% since 2014 and are continuing to drop. Because of this rising trend in secondary education and the degeneracy of teen pregnancy rates, American families are becoming smaller and parents becoming older. As compared to the “traditional” American family back in the 1950s, today’s family unit looks drastically different and will continue to do so until there is stabilization in America’s population.

Since the declining birth rate is decreasing the American population, it also means that the number of people in the workforce will continue to decrease as well. Therefore the government’s hand will eventually be forced to act to combat the diminishing workforce. When the “Baby Boomer” generation becomes Social Security eligible, those dependents will then look to the generations before them to fill in the gap or reach the “replacement level” in the workforce so that the retirees can receive their Social Security benefits. But since the birth rate has been continuing to decline, the replacement level will not be high enough to meet the bar set by the Baby Boomers. The government will then be forced to step in to combat the replacement level problem. This can be carried out in many ways but one of the clearest solutions to the problem is to outsource from other countries. By hiring people from around the world to come work in the United States, America’s culture will shift dramatically because of these employees and their families coming from different countries with different cultures than that of the United States. America has always been a melting pot of cultures, but with the declining birth rate and the inevitable influx of outsourced employment, the melting pot of America will become even more dramatically diverse.

Government policies and the types of problems that the government will intervene in will also change because of this growing problem. Government funded incentive programs could encourage people to have more children (like programs implemented in Singapore and Denmark). Aspects like longer maternity/paternity leaves, cheaper child care, and maybe subsidizing families will take place in order to keep the population in America stable. This type of government-run program (although carried out by many other countries around the world) has never been done by the United States before and so would completely change the way American citizens see their government and the role they should play in their everyday lives. Government intervention would not be the only thing to redefine American government; things like policy changes could take place when it comes to immigration. To keep tax revenue flowing — since there will be a lack of due to the aging population — the government could alter their immigration policy to allow more families to legally come into the country and work to stimulate the economy (and therefore generate more tax revenue).

All of these possible solutions to the declining birth rate problem would completely redefine the way American government is run, how American families look and the American cultural atmosphere. Although this redefinition and other effects of the declining birth rate are not seen by all as a bad thing. Some demographers are claiming that the declining birth rate could create several short term benefits for the community and for the planet. As the population declines, it is safe to say that people will produce less waste and consume less energy. With the earth rapidly deteriorating, demographers say that this could buy the world some time to mend the destroyed environment (whether it’s deforestation, air pollution or climate change) before it becomes irreparable. Another reason why the declining birth rate could be a good thing in the short run is that the American economy could be stimulated and productivity would increase. These short term benefits in the face of a declining birth rate are referred to demographers as the “demographic dividend”. When people have less children, they are more apt to focus on career building rather than family building, making a community (and a nation) more productive. Also with children being an additional financial responsibility, those with more children are less likely to consume and would keep the economy stagnant as compared to those with little to no children who would be more financially able to spend their money. There is a compelling argument that the declining birth rate could be an asset; but these benefits are temporary and in the long run the declining birth rate could have a major negative impact.

“As long as you are going to be thinking anyway, think big.” And oh boy does Donald Trump think HUUGGEE! This past election season was one for the history books. Not only was it the election of our 45th president, he was the first person elected that turned the election into a circus. Though many considered the election a joke, what is a democracy if you can’t vote for whomever you want? Now that President Trump is in charge of ruling the free world, what does that mean for American families? With so many variables and so many topics to discuss, this realm is nearly impossible to answer. Being a Hispanic conservative who voted for Trump, my perspective is taboo to some.

I would say my background is unique but my family’s issue, as well as my own, are the same as some American families. This election brought out the best and worst in people, but for my family, in particular, this election brought out the best. Growing up in a lower middle-class family, working to make ends meet, has and was always the main issue within my family. My father of Puerto Rican descent is a retired police officer and my mother, a southern belle from Louisiana who works as a lab tech, are two examples of what makes America so great, the working class! My parents are in pursuit of the American dream, which President Trump promises to bring back to our country in full force. Almost every morning as my father was paying for his coffee at the nearby Quiktrip, on his way to work, he would repeat the same corny line, as the cashier asked how his morning was going “I’m healthy, I’m employed, and I’m broke, but my people and I came to this country of capitalism to chase the American dream!” It would always give everyone as well as myself in line a little chuckle as he used his extremely apparent fake, broken English accent, even though he was fluent in both languages and had no issue speaking clear English.

This election has brought hope back to the working class American family. Trump’s win wasn’t some overly elaborate underdog win or some conspiracy theory. This country has blossomed from the idea that anyone can be anything through hard work and dedication in the pursuit of happiness. The American Dream used to be an attainable goal. How is Trump bringing back the American dream? Reforms in tax plans, medical services, and government spending are key issues for middle-class families. Since all these reforms are fairly new it is hard to say which will work best or which will work at all, but the concept of the reforms are geared to help those who were overlooked during the past eight years.

Trump’s tax reform stirs away from a progressive tax plan and causes growth and prosperity at each class level. Moving to a flat tax will create incentives for family’s and individuals to progress instead of thinking about how much more the government will take away as they make more money. For instance, my cousin had to make a difficult decision to accept a raise and better herself or stick with her current job so she that she wouldn’t be taxed as much. This should never be a question for someone who wants to move up in the world.

When the Affordable Care Act was passed, our family’s deductibles skyrocketed. Our insurance went from covering almost everything to making us pick and choose what we can and cannot have covered. On top of all of this, insurance companies were dropping like flies – leaving individuals in limbo. Presidents Trump’s idea to build competition between insurance providers would, of course, drive down price through competition but it would benefit the client the most by allowing people to pick the services they want or if they even want service at all.

Where do all of our tax dollars go? What is it used on? What the government spends our tax dollars on is always something we should have a say in. President Trump promises to rebuild our infrastructure. Preserving our government buildings and lands, such as our schools and parks, and help to finally build up our military. Not everyone agrees with these plans for investing in “America First,” as President Trump loves to say, but building up our military is one thing that is for certain going to help protect American families. Building back up our infrastructures will enhance our lives and keep us safe. The last thing our cities or other parts of our country need is another I-85 highway collapse, which drastically affected the city of Atlanta and the surrounding counties.

This election has brought much more back to the American families than policies and reforms. It has brought back the idea that anyone and everyone can attain the American dream. This election has brought back true hope and motivation to the working class. It is much deeper than policy. It is a lifestyle change. The election is a true testament to the citizens of this great nation and their hope for what is to come in the future. Without these deeply rooted ideas of what America really symbolizes, my Grandparents would have never moved to a two bedroom government housing apartment in the lower income areas of New York to chase an imaginary dream. There is truth behind America’s promises. We just need to get back to believing in it.